Paragon
by VampireQueenAkasha
Summary: AU: The story of Pink Diamond remained a mystery to most. Until now. - Prequel to Off-White -
1. Part One: Pink

**Paragon**

 **Author's Note** : Since I've had to make changes to my Scary!White fics after Pink's reveal, I thought it might be interesting doing a different kind of backstory for the Diamonds that isn't ship-related in any way. It'll lead up to what brings White to that level of madness and how the Diamonds took care of Pink. I will also include parts from my Scary!White fics to connect them. This is kinda similar to Authority, but minus the shipping.

" _You never know how the loss will come - whether he will lose you or you him, but it is a certainty that there will be a shattering involuntary separation. Death is the abandonment caused not by betrayal but by fidelity."_

\- Jeanne Safer

" _Love never dies a natural death. It dies because we don't know how to replenish its source. It dies of blindness and errors and betrayals. It dies of illness and wounds; it dies of weariness, of witherings, of tarnishings."_

\- Anaïs Nin

 **By: VampireQueenAkasha**

~O~

 **Part One: Pink**

The morning couldn't have been more perfect.

Blue and Yellow Diamond stood before the vast Kindergarten, awaiting the arrival of the new Diamond soon to be brought into the universe. They were standing there with anticipation, but one Diamond was not among them.

"She's not here yet," Yellow whispered.

Blue noticed it as well, given the way she looked around at the various gems of their court gathered around them; they were privileged to bear witness to this event, as were their Pearls. But they didn't see signs of White Diamond anywhere.

"She will come." Blue reminded the Diamond beside her. "She would not miss this."

"Are you sure, Blue?"

"Yes! Why would you doubt her?"

"I don't doubt HER. I doubt her ability to feel much beyond her need to bury herself in her projects while the rest of us - "

She was cut off by the sound of a warp pad activating nearby. All heads turned, just as a black, thigh-high boot stepped out from the blue beam of light. It was White Diamond; dressed in the very symbol of elegance, she stood tall and proud among them. Five white Pearls trailed behind her. As the highest of the Authority, she was entitled to more.

"White, where have you been?" Yellow asked, "We've been waiting."

"I had a pressing task to complete, but I'm here now," White assured them; her long, black nails tucked her robes behind her. It seemed as if she too harbored some form of anticipation, but it was always difficult to tell - White was an enigma all her own, "I wouldn't miss the emerging of our newest Diamond."

Their focus turned to the place where the new Diamond would soon emerge from the ground. Blue looked delighted and eager now, clasping her hands together. Yellow was smiling and White watched with bated breath.

"The setting is perfect..." White murmured, softly under her breath after a moment of silence had passed, "The tone...frequency...texture of ground..."

"There's no need to be anxious, White," Blue whispered to her when she heard White's words, "You've done well in choosing the proper setting for her. It'll be fine."

White straightened a little where she stood. "I am hardly anxious, Blue. And And 'fine' has variable definitions."

Blue chuckled and gave her a little pat on her shoulder.

The ground split once and cracked open, turning their focus immediately to the ground; White was the first to immediately kneel before it. She reached with one hand and a warm smile touched her face. It was rare and welcoming. Blue and Yellow observed in silence.

"Come on. Come to me. I'm here..." White told the form within the exit hole.

It took a few moments before a bright pink hand emerged. Then, the shape of the new Diamond stepped out to face them. Yellow's eyes widened and Blue's hands went to her mouth. White had no reaction and simply picked her up in her arms. She was small. Very small by comparison to them.

The gems around them were kneeling before the new Diamond. Some were awestruck and unable to speak. Yellow was staring with confusion and Blue looked ready to burst.

"Hello, Pink." White told her, with a warm smile.

Pink's wide, amazed eyes focused on all three of them. Those diamond-shaped irises narrowed and a brilliant smile touched her face. She reached out to touch White's gemstone on her forehead and the older Diamond leaned forward a bit to allow it. She blinked once as Pink's hands nearly batted her in the eye.

Unlike most of them, White herself posssessed white irises that made her diamond-shaped pupils stand out in a sea of pale. It made her look unsettling to most lesser gems. There was a constant lack of change to her face most of the time, an air of strength that she resonated from deep within her being.

Yet...here she looked otherwise. It was a rare sight to see White look at anything with such adoration and love, but here she was. Yellow and Blue, along with the other gems observed in silence for the longest time. It was a sight they didn't want to forget.

"She's..." Yellow began.

"Perfect!" Blue exclaimed, reaching out to hold her.

White handed the other Diamond to Blue and smiled as she watched her delight herself in the newest addition to the Authority. Pink giggled happily as Blue danced and spun with her in her arms. White took a step forward, addressing the smaller Diamond.

"Pink, do you know who we are?" she asked.

"Yes!" Pink said, eagerly. She pointed at each one of them as she said their names. "You're White... You're Yellow and you're Blue!"

"Yes, Pink. That's very good." White continued. "Do you know what you are?"

"A Diamond!"

White chuckled softly and the gems around them just marveled at the presence of the new Diamond among them. They saluted her and Pink stared at every single one of them, unable to stop the bright, happy smile on her face.

White Diamond had smiled for the first time in so long.

When the eldest stood there, bearing witness to Pink Diamond's arrival into existence, it brought forth emotions she'd felt only when she'd emerged herself.

Hope.

O

Pink certainly proved herself capable of great energy.

She looked around the vast temple, impressed with the sight of wall paintings and everything that had been carefully crafted by White's gems. She looked at the three Diamonds behind her, awestruck. The entire time, they had allowed her the chance to explore and observe her new surroundings.

Blue chuckled. "Quite the energetic one, isn't she?"

White smiled and nodded. "The new ones are like this. Let her have the chance to see the world on her own."

Pink turned now, looking at the oldest Diamond with surprise. "Did you make all of this, White?" she exclaimed.

White nodded. "Yes."

"Whoa..." Pink looked around at the mural art and several gems bowed to her when she looked at them. "Did it take a long time?"

"It did indeed." White continued, patiently. "Most of the greater things do."

Yellow leaned toward her, speaking hesitantly. "White, we should talk..." she whispered, watching as Pink distracted herself with a painting of White posed elegantly.

"Not now, Yellow." White chided.

Yellow was quiet for a few moments as she watched Pink. An odd look crossed her face and it went by unnoticed by the others.

Blue was grinning and reached out to the younger Diamond. "Pink, what do you think if it?" she asked.

Pink gave an excited sound. "It's amazing! So, I'm like you? I'm going to have all this too?"

"You will." White reminded her. "In time. We will all take special care to teach you your duty and what it means to be one of us."

Pink squealed with delight and rushed into Blue's waiting arms. "Well, I can't wait! Can we start now?" she asked them.

White gave a gentle chuckle and placed a hand against her back. "Of course."

"White!" Yellow hissed.

"Yellow, I said..." White said, not raising her voice - yet her tone carried a warning, "...not. Now."

Yellow pressed no further.

White turned her focus to the other two and the warm smile from before was back onto her face. She followed Blue and Pink as they exited the temple. Yellow eventually followed behind them. White placed a hand on Blue's shoulder.

"I want to start now!" Pink insisted.

"You are eager to learn," White remarked, pleased by this, "Such enthusiasm is to be commended. But things like this are not to be rushed. We will have lessons tomorrow. I will introduce you to the history of our race. But first..." She gestured to Blue. "Perhaps the two of you can spend your time together while I speak to Yellow alone."

Pink beamed happily and Blue didn't object.

"So what kind of Diamond are you?" Pink asked, looking at her.

"What do you mean?" Blue looked at her curiously.

"Well, we're all different. Do we do different things?"

"We can."

"Is that bad?"

"No. No, of course not. That's what makes us all special." Blue tapped her nose with one finger. "That's what makes YOU special."

Pink giggled now. "I like you, Blue."

"And I am glad for it."

Once they were out of earshot, Yellow turned to White, who suddenly looked guarded. "White, she doesn't look the way you expected. I saw that look on your face when she emerged."

White took a deep inhale, regarding her impassively. "She is fine, Yellow."

"Fine? The rules suddenly change when they're convenient?" Yellow hissed, fiercely.

"You so easily forget that the rules change if we wish them to."

"Pink is not... She isn't meant to be Pink!"

"Yellow, she. Is. Fine." White said, her voice taking on a thin edge. "And you will remember that. Am I clear?" When she received no response, she tilted her head. "If I must repeat that, it will be less polite. Do well to remember that she is a Diamond and will receive the same respect worthy of all three of us."

Yellow laughed coldly. "It isn't me you should be concerned about."

White furrowed her brow and watched Yellow depart.

While their discussion had gone on, Blue took the young Diamond to her court and Pink was even more awstruck by this one; pools of water filled the vast, decorated chamber and blue gems passed by them going about their duties. After a moment, Pink decided to soak her feet in the water while the other Diamond watched her with a smile.

"Hm. Having your feet in the water sounds lovely. I'll join you." Blue said.

She sat down beside her, slipped her feet into the water. Pink brightened as she did. She looked up and noticed Blue Pearl wandering up to her and bowing. Pink looked at her curious for a few moments before staring up at Blue.

"Who's she?" she asked.

"Ah. This is my pearl," Blue explained.

"What does she do?"

"Whatever I ask of her."

Pink furrowed her brow, staring at Blue Pearl for a few moments. "Will I have a pearl too?"

"You will. All of us do."

Pink seemed happy by the idea. She continued to look at Blue Pearl for the longest time before smiling brightly.

"Well, she's pretty. I like your pearl."

Blue Pearl gave a quiet gasp of surprise and her cheeks darkened at the compliment. She certainly hadn't expected that at all. She looked up at her Diamond and Blue laughed a little, nodding her approval. Pink continued patting her feet in the water and hummed.

That night, Pink was led down a corridor by Blue Pearl. The entire time, the smaller gem seemed timid and shy in her presence. Pink noticed this, but said nothing. She did find it a little peculiar, but maybe that was just how pearls were.

"My Diamond, I am told you are to rest here for the night until your tower is complete." the pearl said, in her soft, quiet voice, "It has everything you need."

Pink watched as the pearl typed in a few color codes before the door roared open. She stepped inside and her eyes widened with amazement. A lovely pink chamber filled with lovely cushions, decorations and even fountains. A mirror had been placed nearby and bright, colorful ribbons adorned the ceiling.

"Wait, where's Blue staying?" Pink asked, after a moment.

"My Diamond is staying in her chambers down the hall," Blue Pearl answered, crossing her hands in front of her and lowering her head. "There will be Agates guarding the door if you need anything."

Pink smiled, nodding. Then, she frowned when she noticed the pearl hadn't left. She seemed to be waiting for something. Waving her hand at her, Pink raised her eyebrows.

"Uh, you can go now." she said.

Blue Pearl bowed to her before departing. Pink watched her go, then spent some time looking around at her room. She smiled and eagerly took a spot on the cushions. After a few moments of appreciating them, she wandered around to look at holoscreens, recordings of music and various other items left for her.

After growing tired, she started to sleep on the cushions, but made her way out of her chamber. Several gems saluted her, but she didn't acknowledge as she made her way to Blue's chambers instead. Stepping inside, she climbed into Blue's bed, where the other Diamond was sleeping.

Blue blinked and opened her eyes, looking down at the sight of Pink snuggled close to her. She smiled, shook her head and went back to sleep.

O

White calmly watched the holoscreen from the comfort of her tower.

"Control. Why do we seek control?" she queried.

Behind her a gem had been bound by glowing chains - the ruined form of a fusion kept together. White didn't care to understand what it was. She only needed to understand the reasoning behind her actions. Perhaps to prevent a problem once more.

"Control." White repeated the question, "Why do we seek control?"

The fusion whimpered, holding herself and repeated the mantra she had been trained to understand since she had emerged.

"'Control is the basis of peace. Peace is maintained by Order. Order is the foundation of survival'."

White nodded. "Good. You recall my mantra." she replied, turning to face her. "However, you seem to have forgotten it in the wake of your flawed programming. Perhaps that went unnoticed when you were checked by the Peridots."

The fusion moaned softly, crumbling under the unblinking gaze. "My-My Diamond..."

"Do you have dreams?" White suddenly asked.

The fusion nodded her head, frightened.

"I have them." White Diamond said, still focused on the holoscreen and the data presented before her. "Such wondrous things, dreams. They can present us with inspiration. And perhaps an inspiration to do things we never thought possible."

"Please...I beg your forgiveness!" the fusion pleaded.

White Diamond ignored the plea. "I am an old being. I have seen the cosmos end and begin, and yet... I do not fathom the nature of love. Perhaps you could explain it to me?"

The fusion looked hopelessly confused.

"E-Explain it?"

"Yes. Explain to me your concept of love. I have heard whispers among my soldiers that it is what inspired you to do..." She waved a single finger up and down. "...this." When the fusion seemed unable to do anything, White's cheeks lit up with a bright smile. "If you would be so kind."

The fusion wavered, struggling to calm herself before she studied her hands; discolored and gray from the unstable fusion. "Love it's... Well, it's different for everyone." she attempted to steady her voice and explain the concept to White Diamond. "It makes us stronger. When you - you love someone, you can do anything."

White Diamond tilted her head. "Is that what made you commit the sin you did?"

"N-No!"

A thin, cold smile lit White Diamond's face. "But you just told me it makes you stronger. Fusion made you strong enough to attempt an uprising on one of my colonies. Are they the same?"

The fusion looked sick now, her face lighting with horror. "That wasn't me, I swear it!"

White looked down at her screen for a moment, thinking about that idea. "You were judged for orchestrating an uprising...and you believe love is what controlled your actions?"

"No, I mean, I didn't want - "

White stood up, pacing around the room as she considered this. She tilted her head curiously at the fusion, perhaps fascinated by the thought.

"Is that what love does? It helps you?" she asked.

The fusion laughed, uneasy. "It does, m-my Diamond," she told her.

"Interesting." White Diamond took her seat now, regarding the fusion. "So what you're saying is love destroys the fabric of logic. Logically, you are not intended to form a fusion of one another. By the code of my order, you should hate one another. Yet this love you speak of, it changed you. Made you what you assume to be better."

"S-Some don't see it that way..." The fusion struggled to speak, too frightened to get her thoughts together. "My Diamond, love is what heals. We were nothing until we found each other. B-But if you let us go, we promise we won't fuse again!"

White watched her silently as she begged. She raised her eyebrows. "Yes, you would."

The fusion stared at her with horror. No convincing. No changing her mind.

"But you have a use to me, regardless of your transgressions," White told her, with a small smile, "I have a project, you see. A moon where I keep test subjects. You could be of service, in...another way."

O

Pink was still amazed that White had so many pearls.

Each one worked to keep the tower clean; some scrubbed, others painted murals and kept them looking brand new. It never would have occured to her that the murals were several hundred thousand years old - but White had told her that was indeed true.

Pink watched as a single Pearl wandered passed her; she was dressed in a thin, white bodysuit with pale orbs for eyes. Her gem was located on her forehead and not a single strand of her silver hair looked to be out of place.

Perfection. It seemed that was what White strove for, even in her personal subjects.

"So...all of these pearls are yours?" Pink asked.

White had been scrolling through a series of holoscreens before her when Pink spoke. She glanced up briefly, then nodded.

"Yes. I am entitled to many." she explained.

"Will I get a pearl?"

"You will, such is your right as a Diamond. But before you do, first I must notify the Incubation Tower," White continued to explain, without a single sliver of impatience, "And then, we are to produce one properly for - Pink."

White had stopped explaining the process when she noticed the young Diamond peeking underneath a curtain of fine fibers. Pink looked up at her with a smile and White regarded her calmly. She tilted her head at the younger Diamond.

"Are you listening?" she asked.

"Yes, I'm listening." Pink said, standing still now.

"As I was saying... Ah, of course." White cut herself off, looked at a screen and she seemed pleased. "The newest production of the Citrines are finished. You will accompany me to witness it."

"Citrines?" Pink tilted her head as White rose and started out the door.

"Yes. Gem guards. I don't typically visit myself, but I believe watching the process would be suitable for you to understand how it works. Come along."

Pink eagerly followed behind her.

"Pearl." White addressed her servants behind her.

Every pearl in the tower stopped what they were doing and saluted her. White's eyes scanned each one of them before she pointed to a pearl holding a brush.

"You. I will have you maintain my schedule until my return," she told her, "Have my meetings placed on hold."

The pearl nodded her head. "As you command, my Diamond."

The two Diamonds resumed their stroll out of the tower. White glanced down and noticed how happy Pink seemed to be that she was joining her. It made the older Diamond smile only for a fraction before she looked ahead.

They made their way to an enormous Kindergarten filled with hard-working Peridots. One in particular led the group; a Prasiolite. She was a Quartz with short green hair and her left eye was replaced with the fine cut of her gem. She had translucent green skin.

"What gem is she, Pink?" White asked, glancing down at her.

"A...um...a Prasiolite," Pink said, tapping her chin. "They supervise Peridots."

White smiled, nodding her approval. "Good. That's correct."

The Prasiolite waved one massive hand before her. "Line them up!" she commanded, "All you lumps of coal, get in a line!"

The Citrines who had just emerged quickly hurried to form a line before her. Some of them bumped into each other and the loud, thunderous tone of the Prasiolite echoed around them. She gestured with one thick finger.

"FILL THIS GAP!"

A few Citrines grunted and some stepped on each other's toes. A series of curses and annoyed noises escaped them in the process. Their yellow-orange bodies crowded one another as they hurried to form the line upon command. A Peridot began to wander down the rows, scanning each one with a careful, meticulous look. She murmured thoughtfully each time she studied a gem in front of her.

Prasiolite turned and gave a gasp when she saw Pink and White emerging. She quickly saluted and every gem stopped what they were doing to do the same.

"M-My Diamond!" she exclaimed, "I did not expect you here so soon!"

White waved a hand in the air. "Proceed." she said.

At that, the Prasiolite nodded and turned her now worried focus to the gems in her command. Meanwhile, as White observed, Pink walked away to look at each Citrine curiously. She smiled and paused at one with an unusual cut to her gem. Tilting her head, she studied her and the Citrine began to sweat nervously and tremble.

"You're different." Pink said. "You don't look like the others."

The Citrine whimpered and shook her head. "I-I can still be of use!"

Pink shrugged her shoulders. The gem's fear was lost to her. "What do you mean? You seem useful to me." she replied.

The Citrine immediately buckled at Pink's feet and bowed before her, confusing the Diamond. "My Diamond, I am not worthy of your mercy!"

Pink glanced behind her for a moment and looked down at the Citrine. "Mercy?" she said, a little lost, "I don't understand. Why are you afraid?"

The Citrine looked confused now. She wasn't sure if Pink was actually serious. "Um...I..." she tried, wavering in her words.

Pink smiled. "Tell me." she insisted.

The Citrine continued to hesitate, but Pink took a seat and gestured with one hand for her to follow suit. After a few moments, the gem smiled nervously and sat down. White was observing the process of a Peridot scanning each Citrine before she noticed Pink with the one at the very end. She furrowed her brow curiously and approached.

As soon as White's shadow fell over them, the Citrine immediately stood up and saluted. Pink looked up at White with a smile.

"Hey, White! This Citrine was talking with me and I..."

She stopped when the Peridot made her way over and scanned the now frightened Citrine. The scanner brought up a bright red X and the Peridot furrowed her brow, grabbing the Citrine by the jaw. She shook her head at Prasiolite and the gem sighed with disappointment.

"Oh well..." she said, almost dramatically. "Not all of them are winners."

Pink looked confused and stared up at White, who gestured with one hand without speaking a single word. The Citrine was taken, kicking and screaming by two other Peridots, who produced beams of green light from their hands. It had her frozen in place, unable to escape.

"No!" the Citrine cried, thrashing her head. Tears streamed down her cheeks. "I can be useful, my Diamond, I swear it! I'm not defective! I'M NOT! PLEASE!"

Pink tilted her head. "Defective?" she murmured to herself.

White observed the sight in silence and the Prasiolite shook her head. "Forgive me, my Diamond. Such a shame that Pink Diamond had to witness such a spectacle."

"Hm." White cast her gaze to Pink. "It matters not. It's good for her to understand the...errors that possibly come with creation."

Though Pink only looked confused.

O

"You will take Pink with you."

Yellow looked surprised when White informed her that the younger Diamond would be joining her on a trip to her Moon Base. White didn't look up from her holoscreens when she spoke and continued typing in a few buttons.

Pink was excited by the idea. "I get to see a harvesting?"

White smiled, nodding. "Yes. You can. I'm sure Yellow will be thrilled to have you accompany her. Right?" She smiled thinly now, looking at Yellow from the tops of her eyes. Her voice had dropped to a softer, almost warning pitch.

Yellow nodded her head. "Yes..."

White smiled her approval now. "Good! Pink?" Her eyes fell to the smaller Diamond. "Would going with Yellow please you?"

Pink jumped up and down with glee. "Yes!"

White nodded her head once. "It will be a marvelous learning experience...for both of you, I trust."

Yellow frowned at the tone, but looked down at Pink and gestured for her to follow. Pink eagerly did just that. They wandered outside, stepped onto a warp pad and were sent to the Moon Base that White had spoken of.

Yellow Pearl had been waiting for her the entire time. "My Diamond!" she greeted, saluting and bowing upon her arrival.

"Do you have the commander waiting?" Yellow asked.

"She awaits your voice." Yellow Pearl told her.

Pink stared at the Pearl curiously. Yellow's was different from Blue's; she had angled hair much like the Diamond herself and harder eyes. Pink was curious as to what her Pearl would look like once she received one.

Yellow paced around the chamber that evening on the Moon Base. She was scrolling through the holoscreen.

"You were told to be prepared cycles ago. There will be no more excuses. Get it done. And don't expect me to look kindly upon this transgression." she growled. "Embark at once."

Pink had wandered around the Moon Base absently, studying every little detail in her trek. She could barely make out Yellow's voice in the main chamber. Bored and curious, she wandered inside and noticed that Yellow didn't seem to pay her any attention.

"Hey, Yellow!" she called, "What are you talking about?"

Yellow once again, seemed to ignore her. She glared at a gem on the holoscreen. "You will stick to my orders and you will destroy them!" she snapped, her voice taking on an edge. "No. No. I will not repeat myself." A pause. "Hm. That is simply unacceptable... Well, you'll have to remember, won't you?"

Pink sighed, long and bored. She meandered around the chamber as Yellow continued talking. She wanted to go with Yellow to see how a Diamond harvested planets, but Yellow had practically been ignoring her the entire time.

"Yellow!" she yelled.

Yellow gently shooed her away with one hand. "Pink, please. I'm working."

Once more, Yellow returned focus on her task and the gem on screen. "The dullness of this exchange tires me. Just land the dropships and do your pathetic job for once." she snapped, to the gem in the screen. "Or I'll shatter you and your crew myself."

A few yellow, oval-shaped ships passed overhead and Pink squealed with delight. "Whoa, cool!" she exclaimed. Yellow took a seat at her great chair and Pink rushed up to her side eagerly. "Yellow! Hey, Yellow!"

Yellow's lips curled somewhat and she attempted to sound as proper as possible. "Oh, you're still here..." she murmured.

Pink grinned. "What are you doing?"

Yellow stared at her silently before glancing down at her holoscreen. "I'm commanding the dropships to colonize this planet."

"I wanna command a dropship!" Pink insisted.

Once again, Yellow gave her an odd look. She sighed and shook her head, her tone dismissive. "Well, when you have you have your own colony, you can command whatever you want."

"I want a colony!"

Yellow rolled her eyes with another sound and focused her attention on her screen again. She pressed buttons on the panel of the Diamond Authority symbol. Pink watched her, frowning at her lack of attention. She glared up at the other Diamond.

"I want one now!" she insisted.

Yellow unlocked a new screen of the yellow ships that Pink had seen flying overhead. Her eyes widened and she looked at the other Diamond, mystified.

"What's this?" she asked.

"I'm contacting the leader of the fleet."

Pink grinned, amazed. "Let me do it!"

She began to press multiple buttons on the screen, but Yellow roughly seized her arm and yanked her away from it.

"Don't touch that!" she shouted.

The move had startled Pink for a moment, but she yanked her arm away and glared up at Yellow. "Why not? You have so many worlds and I don't even have one!" she cried, angry, "It's not fair! I want one!" She began to stomp her foot. "I want my own army! I want my own planet! I deserve it! I'm just as important as you!"

Yellow raised her voice and it thundered through the chamber. "Then why don't you act like it, Pink?!" she bellowed.

Pink continued to glare at her before her features smoothed out with hurt. Yellow's own relaxed somewhat and she sighed, leaning back in her chair before rubbing her forehead with two fingers.

Nothing more was said as Pink stomped away, holding her arm with one hand. She paused, glared back at Yellow before staring down at her hand. Shaking, she looked up at her reflection in the glass of the Moon Base before punching it with one fist.

"...There is something wrong with that Diamond..."

The sound of Yellow's voice as she talked with another on the screen froze Pink where she stood. She looked over her shoulder, stunned by the sentence. It sent a cold shudder through her form and she simply left, ignoring the concerned look on Yellow Pearl's face.

When she returned to her chamber in Blue's tower, she couldn't sleep. Her features were streaked in tears and she was so angry about what had happened, she kicked the sheets away from her bed with a few furious huffs.

"Pink?" Blue's voice came from behind the door. "Are you alright? I'm coming in."

The door opened and Blue stepped inside. She noticed Pink's tears and she knelt down at the edge of the bed.

"Pink, what is it?" she asked, shock in her voice. "Why are you crying?"

Pink sighed. After a few moments, she sat up and gave Blue a look of multiple questions that needed answers. "Why am I different?"

Blue looked startled. "What? What makes you say such a thing?"

"I'm different. I know it." Pink told her, frowning. "Something's wrong with me."

"Well, you're tangled up in your sheets," Blue said, with a small laugh. She worked to untangle her and Pink squirmed a bit out of her hands.

"No, I just... Blue, I'm serious!" Pink insisted. "Look at me!"

Blue's smile disappeared and she straightened a little. "I am, Pink. And I see a Diamond."

Pink looked lost. "But Yellow said - "

"Nevermind what Yellow said," Blue interrupted, pulling her into her arms, "Whatever the case, you are one of us. Never forget that. Tomorrow, I will speak to White and we will have your first colony ready for you. How does that sound?"

Pink brightened. "Really? Tomorrow? You promise?"

"I promise."

Pink looked quite happy by that and squealed with delight, becoming entangled in the sheets once more in the process. Blue laughed with delight and tried to catch her in her arms again.

"Ah, come here!" she said, playfully.

Pink was caught up in her arms again and smiled, determined. "I'll prove that I can be a good Diamond!" she told her, "I'll be the best!"

"I'm sure you will, Pink." Blue said, affectionately.


	2. Part Two: Lessons

~O~

 **Part Two: Lessons**

It had been a lovely morning.

The scent of roses in the gardens, the gems busy tending to them. It was a sight to behold for Pink Diamond. Life on Earth offered many splendors that she could not deny. It was such a strange, but beautiful planet. What made her happy was the fact that this would be all hers soon.

The natives on the planet simply referred to it as "Earth". What an odd name for a planet. Pink thought it was just like calling it "dirt", really. Still, despite the name, it was a nice little world. With the creation of her palanquin, she wandered the planet, despite the other three Diamonds warning her to stay safe. Pink didn't see any threats to speak of.

"My Diamond, this certainly seems like a risky endeavor."

Pink Diamond listened to the Red Agate's warning as she sat in her palanquin, making her way toward the small collection of humans huddled nearby in caves.

She enjoyed watching them at work at a far and safe distance; sometimes they would dance or sing in ways that fascinated her. They worked for themselves without the command of a diamond. So fragile, yet so strong.

From the palanquin, Pink Diamond observed through a small scope over her eye. She smiled with amusement, watching the humans at work in a river nearby, catching fish. Constantly did they toil, but some of them seemed happy with their work. They shared laughter and jokes together. Their language was definitely primitive and involved a lot of hand gestures.

"They make tiny ones..." she mused. "How do you think they do that?"

The Red Agate sighed through her nose. "I do not know, my Diamond." she told her, "But White Diamond has scheduled your training today. We should not delay."

Pink nodded her head and sat back in her palanquin's chair "Yeah, you're right. But don't worry. You can't ever make her mad."

"I do not intend to be the first."

Pink laughed at the thought before she looked down, peeking her head out of her palanquin when she noticed movement just outside of it. Her eyes widened and she looked literally star-struck. Reaching down, she scooped something up into her arms.

The Red Agate noticed what it was and she murmured with discontent.

"She may not approve." she reminded her.

"Oh, you don't know White."

O

The sound of heels echoed in the vast chamber of White's tower. She walked down the corridors, carrying several things in her arms. Pink was in the room, holding something in her hands. She kept her back to White and giggled.

"You're late." White said.

"I know, I'm sorry." Pink replied, without looking up. "But it was just ten minutes."

"Every minute is necessary if it serves a function for teaching," White explained, focusing on her task in front of her. "Remember as I told you."

The older Diamond glanced over and now took notice that Pink was busy occupying herself with something. Furrowing her brow, she leaned to one side.

"Pink Diamond." White said.

Pink didn't hear her. She tilted her head, licked her lips and wiped a smudge from the cheek of a lion that she held in her hands. The animal stretched, yawned and purred in her arms. Beaming happily, she giggled and held the animal close.

"Yellow's wrong about organics. You're cute." she mused. "I'll keep you and make sure you're safe! Don't worry."

White sighed. "Pink Diamond." she repeated, when the other didn't hear her.

White eventually stopped calling her name when the smaller Diamond didn't react to the call; she rose, setting down a small cup before approaching Pink, her grand robes trailing behind her. Pink paused and smiled up at her when she felt the shadow of the older Diamond loom over.

"We have lessons today," White reminded her. She flicked her head upward once. "What do you have there behind your back?"

"Nothing." Pink lied, smiling innocently.

White arched a thin eyebrow and tilted her head. Clearly, she suspected otherwise.

Pink sighed and hung her shoulders at the look. Then, she grinned, delighted. "Do you know that colony you said I could have eventually? I was just looking around and I found this little thing running around near my palanquin. Look!"

She seemed so star-struck by the sight of the animal and held it up to White, who hardly seemed as thrilled as she was. In fact, she looked downright bored.

"Yes, it's an organic species," White replied, "One of many that roam the surface of your soon-to-be colony. And you have yet to have a Pearl. I would prefer you not depart without one again. Did you read the files of each specimen like I asked?"

Pink looked bored and hung her shoulders again with a sigh. "Yes. I did."

White nodded her approval. She still seemed patient, in spite of everything. But Pink knew that it was practically impossible to anger or frustrate the oldest Diamond. She'd seen Yellow arguing with her many times, only to have White calmly rebuff every single argument.

"Pink, come here. Set that thing down."

"Why? It's cute. I want to hold him."

"Perhaps you may think so, but that creature does not serve a function and you should do away with it. We have lessons. Come. Take a seat."

Pink exhaled. "Come on White, look at him!" she insisted, holding the lion up to her. "He has a use! I promise he does!"

White stared at the lion and the animal gave a long, growling yawn. She arched a rather unimpressed eyebrow at her and straightened her robes with a grand sweep of her hand.

"This will not serve a function for a Diamond." she told her.

Pink's eyes began to fill and White stared at her with a long, blank frown. Then, she sighed, cast her gaze upwards before nodding.

"Very well. He can lay with you while you study," White replied.

A happy laugh from Pink Diamond. The sound made White smile. A rare, genuine smile. Pink started to follow her and they passed a fountain. Before she could continue, White stopped her and gestured to the fountain with one finger.

"No. Clean your hands before you sit," she chided gently.

Pink chuckled knowingly, set the lion down and ran her hands through the water for a few minutes. White watched her silently as she did. She preferred things clean, perfect and ordered, regardless of whatever it was.

"Let's see your hands," White eventually said, when she was finished, "You know I prefer things to be clean when you use -"

Pink grinned, playfully splashing White with the water on her fingertips. The older Diamond blinked once. Twice. She calmly wiped her lower lip with one pointed nail and shook her head. How utterly ridiculous at times. Still, it made White Diamond smile sometimes.

A giggle escaped Pink and White sighed.

"Honestly, Pink..." she murmured.

They spent that morning going over the history of Homeworld and learning of its growth in the form of colonies. White was speaking when she began to notice a change in Pink's demeanor. She furrowed her brow and shut off the tablet she'd been using to play back images of gem history.

"Does something trouble you?" White asked.

"Hm?" Pink looked taken by the question. "Oh, well...maybe."

"What is it? Speak."

Pink hesitated for a moment and seemed uncertain of the question she wanted to ask. She frowned up at her now. "Why did you break that gem?" When White didn't react, Pink stared at her insistently. "You know, the one from the Kindergarten."

"The Citrine? It came out the way it wasn't supposed to."

"But she seemed nice. She talked to me. None of the others do." She sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "They act like they're afraid of me."

White sighed patiently, shaking her head. "Pink, as a Diamond you may be called to make difficult choices. Such is part of our duty."

"But why?"

"Well...because we are the Authority. There must be examples made and a strive for perfection. It is the basis of our survival and the survival of all gem life."

"Well, why?"

A warm chuckle from White. "You ask many questions."

"True. But you said that's how I can learn."

"Ah yes, I suppose I did, didn't I?" White then looked at her. "That reminds me. Why were you on the colony alone again?"

"I wasn't. I was with Red."

"The Agate I assigned to you?"

"Yeah, she's nice. I like her."

White sighed through her nose. "You were watching the native life again, I assume?"

"Yeah. They're strange. But they're fun."

Pink's face suddenly lit up and her eyes became moony. "Oh! Oh, White, I just had the greatest idea!" she insisted, eager.

White had switched on the holographic file again. "Alright."

"Since the planet's going to be destroyed... What if I keep some of them?"

"Keep some of what?" White looked at her, read the grin on her face and sighed, features pinching with a mixture of disgust and disapproval. "Oh no. Honestly, Pink... Why would you want to keep them?"

"They're REALLY CUTE!" Pink insisted, grabbing White's arm and shaking her a little. "Please, I'll take good care of them! I promise!"

White allowed Pink to beg her and even shake her arm with enough force to move her back and forth where she sat. She looked nonplussed for the longest time.

"Please, White? PLEASE?" Pink begged. "I promise I'll get a place for them to live and everything! I'll do all the work!"

White sighed heavily. She pinched the bridge of her nose and looked down at her. "You can't possibly be with them all the time."

"I'll make gems who can!"

"This is...clearly important to you..."

Pink grinned, delighted. "It is!"

White stared at her with dismay for a few moments before she nodded. "Very well."

Pink squealed happily and threw her arms around her neck in a hug. "THANK YOU, WHITE! Thank you, thank you!"

"Yes..." White murmured, primly. She delicately removed the arms from around her neck. "Just...design the schematics of the gems and I will overlook them. There will be a facility they must remain. Will you be prepared to design that as well?"

Pink nodded eagerly. "I will! It'll be the best!"

"I do not doubt..."

The way White said it suggested some manner of sarcasm, but the warm smile on her face was there again.

"Yes! I can't wait to rub it in Yellow's face!" Pink started stand up to leave.

"Pink?" White's voice had her halting in the doorway. She raised an eyebrow. "You are a Diamond. Therefore we do not...rub anything in anyone's face. Understood?"

Pink slouched her shoulders. "Okay... Can I at least tell Blue?"

"...you may if it pleases you."

Pink grinned and hurried off to do just that. White smiled, shook her head and straightened in her place. She glanced down at the lion resting there where Pink once sat and sighed through her nose.

O

A single butterfly lingered on White's finger.

Pink couldn't take her eyes away from the glowing, bright blue thing. White watched her reactions with a thin smile on her face.

"How do you do that?" Pink asked, amazed.

White took a breath. "Every Diamond has abilities," she explained. "Blue can bend emotions, Yellow energy and me? I bend reality."

Pink's eyes widened, awestruck. "Can you teach me?" she asked.

White chuckled softly. "No. This is not a gift I can teach. However, you may have an ability that neither one of us can do."

"Really? When will I know?"

"You must find it within you, Pink. I will teach you that much. But it's up to you to know what you are capable of."

Pink seemed to think about that. She reached for White's illusion and the older Diamond watched her with a soft smile on her face. She allowed the butterfly to crawl on Pink's hands. Such silly things they were, but Pink seemed to have a fondness for them.

Every Diamond had their own idiosyncrasies; White sought perfection, but even she understood how uniqueness was suitable for their Authority.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sight of Pink climbing into her lap and smiling up at her. "Can you tell me a story?"

"A...story." White wasn't sure quite how to respond to that. She couldn't resist her smile now.

"Yeah. Like...how long have you been around?"

"Oh, it's been quite some time." White replied, waving her hand and producing many butterflies in the chamber. "I'm as old as this universe. Hm. Maybe older. I don't remember."

Pink thought about it. She remembered the stories the other two would share with her about White; the oldest and strongest of them, "One who had always been and always will be". She never quite understood what that meant, but none of them seemed to really know. White rarely left her chambers and most gems had never even seen her face-to-face.

She looked down at White's hands, furrowing her brow thoughtfully. The little gray lines on White's wrists were interesting, along with the long, spider-like fingers that ended in black nails - sort of like claws. She leveled up her smaller hand with White's and the older Diamond watched her.

"What is it?" she asked.

"What are these lines on your arms?" Pink murmured, curiously.

"Ah." White made a soft, amused sound as she studied her own hand. "I've had them since I had emerged. Just as all gems have unique details to them."

"You really don't remember?"

"Not quite," White replied, honestly, "I'm far too old to remember such things. I don't think on them as I used to."

Pink murmured again. She thought about something. "So, have you ever been to the end of the universe?"

"There is no edge, Pink," White reminded her, smiling thinly when Pink seemed interested in her hand again. "The universe is constant. It expands and we must explore its new horizons. That's the beauty of it. There's always something new."

"Hm..." Pink smiled, murmured thoughtfully. She looked down at the long, black-nailed hand in her two hands and her smile thinned a little. "So...is that what it's like for all of us? Do we get really old and forget?"

White didn't reply. Truthfully, she didn't really know how to answer. Instead, she waved her hand and a holoscreen drifted toward them. Scrolling through it, she sought to find a suitable story to keep Pink properly content until her Pearl was ready.

"How many stories do you have saved?" Pink asked, changing the subject as well.

White Diamond's stoic, serene features never changed. "One billion, seven million, three thousand and forteen hundred."

Pink looked impressed. "Wow."

"Wow, indeed." White murmured, primly.

Pink stared up at her, then giggled and sought to get comfortable as White found a story to share with her. One that involved her conquest of a planet known by the organic population that once roamed its surface as "Hyperion". The story entranced Pink and she continued to study the butterflies that fluttered about their heads as White read on.

O

"Focus, Pink."

The young Diamond held her hand out in front of her, lips pursed tightly. White was standing nearby, watching her. They had spent days in her tower practicing and with no results to show for.

After a few moments of trying to focus, Pink seemed to be getting frustated and she huffed loudly, dropping her arm at her side. She looked at White with disappointment.

"It's not working," she said. "We've been trying for days."

"Breathe," White instructed, "Control your emotions."

Pink nodded her head. "Okay. Okay, I think I got it now."

She held up her hand and closed her eyes, focusing as White had instructed. She pursed her lips, murmuring with frustration. She didn't notice the palm of her hand started to flicker with pink light. White reacted somewhat with a small gasp.

"Pink," she said, "Look."

Pink's eyes opened and widened when she noticed the glow. She gave a shocked cry and looked at White now.

"It's... It's working!" she cried.

"Hold it, Pink," White told her, raising two hands, "Don't let it go. Keep that feeling."

Pink nodded her head anxiously. She closed her eyes and focused with every bit of strength she had. A sliver of light formed brighter from her fingertips. White looked toward her left at an organic specimen housed in a glass case; it had begun to shudder in its housing and blossoms slowly formed.

White blinked once. Twice as she watched the event unfold. She approached the case, removed the glass from it and touched one of the blossoms in amazement. Turning to Pink, she found the younger Diamond still struggling to focus.

"Pink!" she said.

Pink's eyes opened and she looked over at White. "It's not working..." she said, dejectedly.

"Oh, but it is," White assured her, gesturing to the specimen.

Pink frowned curiously, wandering over to it. She pointed at the blossoms and looked up at White again. "Wait... I did that?"

"Yes," White said, fascinated with the results. "It would seem that you can do something entirely new; you can manipulate nature itself. It explains how the lion was so taken to you."

Pink stared at the plant and touched the blossoms before her eyes widened. Mystified, she looked down at her hands now, stunned by her newfound abilities. White chuckled softly at the sight and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Perhaps with greater practice, you will be able to do things that even I cannot do." she told her.

Pink gasped softly, amazed by the idea. "Things YOU can't do?"

"Yes, that's right." White replied, smiling warmly.

Just then, one of her pearls approached the two, holding a holographic screen in hand. This pearl had her gemstone replacing her right eye and she had no hair.

"My Diamond, the new pearl has been processed successfully," she reported, in a soft, monotone voice, "Pink Diamond will receive her in five minutes. Do you wish for me to confirm?"

"Yes." White said. She looked down at a now excited Pink. She smiled again. "Well then? Shall we meet her?"

"Yes!" Pink cried, running out of the chamber before White could follow.

O

The Pink Pearl stood there while Pink observed her curiously.

She was wearing fluffy pink chiffon, a thin bodysuit and had flowing pink locks of hair. Her eyes were large, brightly colored and she had her hands crossed in front of her. Blue, Yellow and White stood in silence, watching as Pink studied her.

"She'll do whatever I tell her?" Pink asked, looking up at them.

"Yes. As is her duty," White replied.

Pink tilted her head at the pearl, smiling happily.

"Is she suitable for you, my Diamond?" a peridot eventually asked, standing nearby.

Pink brightened and nodded her head. "Yes, she looks pretty!" she said, studying her new pearl, "She's suitable, I like her!"

Pink Pearl smiled timidly, lowering her eyes for a moment. "Thank you, my Diamond. I am here to serve you and you alone."

"Great!" Pink gestured for her to follow. "Come on!"

Pink Pearl smiled and followed her. White looked pleased with the results and turned her attention to the peridot. The gem immediately bowed under the sharp scrutiny of her stare.

"Excellent work." White told her. "She is happy."

"Thank you, my Diamond!"

Blue seemed quite pleased with how it had gone as well. "Perhaps now that she has her own pearl, she can feel a little more like she belongs with us."

Yellow made a face. "A pearl does not make the Diamond."

"True." Blue said, her smile thinning somewhat. "Though perhaps more than you've made her feel these days."

Yellow sensed the accusation. "What are you talking about?"

"Pink told me what you said at the Moon Base," Blue snapped, her ocean eyes darkening, "Yellow, how can you think to say such things?"

White's diamond irises narrowed and she turned to Yellow. "What? What did you say to her, Yellow?"

Yellow scowled at both Diamonds. "I said nothing to her! She must have overheard me speaking to one of you."

"You think so little of her. All she desires is to be like us."

"That's far from the truth!"

"Then what is the truth, Yellow? Explain it to us!"

White stared at her, gaze hardening only somewhat.

"Honestly, am I the only one here who is the slightest concerned for her?" Yellow said, her voice taking on an edge.

"What are you talking about, Yellow?" Blue asked, concerned now.

Yellow gestured in the direction that Pink had departed. "We three know entirely too well why she looks that way," she told them, "And you two pretend as if it's not staring us in the face. If Pink were to realize the truth, what do you think that will do to her?"

The two Diamonds were silent now. They seemed to think about Yellow's words.

Meanwhile, Pink was guiding her new pearl around her chamber, indicating everything that had been kept and maintained. Pink Pearl's eyes wandered around the great room and she paused by the door, watching as Pink took a spot on her cushion.

"Hey! Come here and sit beside me!" Pink said, patting a spot on the cushion.

Pink Pearl looked stunned by the offer. She didn't move.

"Come on!" Pink insisted, "It's okay!"

Pink Pearl hesitated for a moment more before she started forward. Carefully and slowly, she sunk down onto the cushion and gave a soft, nervous laugh.

She couldn't wait to tell the other pearls what her Diamond let her do.

O

White stared at the blueprints in silence. She occasionally glanced up at Pink, who eagerly awaited her opinion on them. Raising her eyebrows, she glanced down at the holoscreen once.

"You...wish to have these Quartz's possess abilities as you do?" she asked.

"Yes!" Pink said, with a happy smile.

"Hm..." White studied the design of the Quartz; volumptuous, built strong with flowing hair and soft eyes. "And healing? That will require great effort and resources."

"Well, the humans need help in case they hurt themselves," Pink pointed out.

She wandered to White's side, leaning over her to point at the screen. White made a face, but attempted not to smile at the younger Diamond's excitement. Pink gestured to the curly locks of the Quartz's design and grinned.

"She should have big hair," she said, "Like mine!"

"And...if I'm reading this correctly..." White attempted to understand, "You want them to...control plants? What purpose would that serve?"

"Humans like plants."

"I...see."

White began to etch the design a little differently, but Pink shook her head and looked at her. "No, I want them to look just like I have it." she insisted.

White sighed through her nose, but smiled. "Alright."

Beneath the design, she noticed the name that Pink had given the new Quartz.

Rose Quartz.

"Thank you, White!" Pink cried, happily. She wrapped her arms around the oldest Diamond's neck. "Thank you so much!"

"You may thank me when you exercise proper responsibility." White told her, plucking her arms from around her neck and setting her to the floor. "If these native specimens are that important to you, I will expect you to prove you can manage them."

Pink nodded her head. "I will. I promise!"

White smiled thinly. "Good. Well? You should rest, Pink. I will have the Peridot's begin construction of the Kindergarten on Earth."

"When will they be ready?"

"Soon."

"How soon is soon?"

"Soon."

White was ever so patient with Pink and her antics. Her pearls watched the scene with a few carefully veiled smiles. It was amazing how their Diamond was so very calm and collected with her.

Such was how White was.


	3. Part Three: Defective

_Note_ \- Parts of this chapter were inspired by the song "All I Ever Wanted" from Prince of Egypt.

~O~

 **Part Three: Defective**

 _Several hundred years later_

Pink was standing with her pearl and two Rose Quartz's. They were facing a family of filthy humans huddled close together in the cave, holding their children in their arms. Their wide, frightened eyes, the way they whimpered and shuddered in the face of the beings there...it was merely interpreted as "adorable" by Pink.

"Aww, look at them!" she gushed, with a delighted sound. "They're so cute when they do that!" She put her hands on her hips. "I was worried we wouldn't find any new ones in this cave, but here they are!"

"Which one should we take, my Diamond?" the Rose Quartz on her left asked.

"Mmm, take all three of them," Pink told her. "They'll make really cute additions to the zoo."

The Rose Quartz's nodded their heads and approached the frightened family. There was very little struggle from them; shrieks from their native tongue that had been ultimately calmed by the warm embraces of the Rose Quartz's. It had been so easy for them. Pink made certain that her Quartz's gave nothing less than comfort for the humans she retrieved.

Pink and her pearl made their way to the warp pad. Pink Pearl studied a holoscreen that she brought up before her from her gem. She looked at her Diamond after a moment.

"There are currently seventeen specimens maintained in the zoo," she told her.

"How are they doing?" Pink asked.

"Doing well, my Diamond."

Pink smiled. "Good! Thank you, Pearl."

They stepped into the warp and it sent them immediately to the zoo. Pink was warmly welcomed by various Quartz's, Agates and Sapphires and each gesture made the Diamond smile happily. All of them saluted her as she passed, making her way to her chambers. She took a seat on the cushion and noticed her pearl start to follow, but hesitate.

Pink smiled at her and patted the cushion, an invitation to sit. Pink Pearl's eyes lit up with a smile and she took a seat beside her. Pink sighed and leaned back in the cushion to get comfortable.

"It feels good to be a Diamond. And I think I'm doing pretty well." she said; looking over at her pearl, she was curious, "Pearl? What do you say?"

"I cannot say, my Diamond." Pink Pearl told her. "A slave is not her own master."

Pink sat up and put an arm around her with a bright smile. "But you're not JUST my pearl, you know. I like talking to you."

Pink Pearl chuckled softly, delighting in her Diamond's attentions. Of all the pearls that existed, Pink was probably the only owner who ever treated her so fondly in the way that she did. The other Diamonds suspected that was just in her nature.

She looked up and gasped softly at the sounds of chatter in an ajacent chamber. "Oh! They have the new ones ready! Wait here!"

"But, my Diamond - " Pink Pearl started to rise.

"It's okay!" Pink insisted, "I'll be right back!"

Pink Pearl did just that, sitting alone in the chamber as Pink hurried right out. Her eyes wandered and she fidgeted with her hands. She looked up at the sound of the great doors opening and expected Pink to return, but it was Yellow instead.

The Diamond's eyes widened in shock at the sight of the little pearl sitting there. Glowering down at her, she advanced and Pink Pearl staggered back in fright.

"How dare you sit where a Diamond sits!" Yellow whispered, acidly, "How dare you!"

Pink Pearl whimpered, frightened.

"Who told you to sit there?" Yellow hissed, softly. "Who?"

As if on cue, Pink entered the chamber. She saw the scene and scowled, stomping toward them before glaring up at Yellow. "Yellow, what are you doing?"

"I found your pearl sitting in your seat," Yellow snapped.

"I told her she could!" Pink said, angrily, "She's my pearl and she can do what I say!"

"That isn't how it works, Pink!" Yellow seemed to try to be patient with her, but she was not as good at it as White. "A pearl knows her place and you remind them of that!"

Pink sighed impatiently, thrusting her hands in the air. "You're always doing this! I'm a Diamond and I can do what I want with my gems!"

Yellow scoffed at the assumption. She rubbed the bridge of her nose before folding her arms across her chest. "You will NEVER be a Diamond if you don't act like it!"

Pink stared at her before her features smoothed out with hurt. It seemed that Yellow too had realized what she said because her eyes widened somewhat, surprised by her own vehemence. Instead of arguing further, she sighed heavily through her nose, turning to leave the chamber.

"Why do you hate me?"

Yellow froze, frowning back at Pink when the question left her lips. "What?" she said.

Most of her harshness had left her voice, and now she stared at Pink. The younger Diamond glowered at her, but pain lingered in her stare.

"Why do you hate me, Yellow?" Pink asked again.

"I don't hate you. Don't be absurd." Yellow snapped, softer now. "I simply want you to be a better Diamond than I feel you have been. I'm not like Blue or White. One pampers you like those human children you love so much and the other spoils you incessantly because she can."

"So they like me! What's wrong with that?" Pink demanded. When Yellow started to argue, Pink pointed a finger up at her. "Give me a good reason! If you can't give me a good reason why you don't like me - "

"Pink!" Yellow interrupted, with an angry shout. The sound made the younger Diamond flinch sharply. "Enough! I will not have you twist my words. There is a trial and you've ignored the passed five messages to play with those...things!" She gestured behind her, clearly indicating the zoo. "Now, are you coming to the trial or not?"

Pink's eyes filled and she glared up at her.

O

The trial took a lot longer than expected.

Pink paid no attention to what was going on as she couldn't stop thinking about what Yellow had told her at the zoo. Maybe she hadn't intended for it to be as cruel as it was - such was the other Diamond's way. At least, that was how Blue often talked about her. Still, it didn't keep it from hurting any less.

White sat across from her in her throne and noticed Pink's distracted stare. She furrowed her brow somewhat.

"...Pink, what do you say?"

Pink snapped out of her reverie and glanced up at Blue, who had spoken and gestured to the frightened gem in front of them - a Topaz. She had not really listened to what the gem's charges were either. She was just too focused on what Yellow had said.

"Pink." White spoke now.

Pink looked at her, sighed and rose from her throne. "Would you excuse me for a second?"

Her pearl followed behind her. Yellow frowned impatiently and glanced at Blue, shrugging her shoulders once when the other Diamond looked at her questionably. White frowned, glanced down at the Topaz before she spoke.

"We will continue," she said.

While the trial continued, Pink and her pearl wandered down the vast corridors of an enormous library fit primarily for the Diamonds to use. Most of the saved documents and stories had belonged to White from her years of research, so the pearl at her side seemed nervous about being there.

"My Diamond, should we be here?" she queried.

"I'm looking for something," Pink told her, with a small, reassuring smile, "No harm in research, right? White's always telling me to find answers if I need them."

Pink Pearl nodded. "What will we be searching for?"

"Answers about me."

Her pearl frowned curiously, but she said no more as Pink gestured to the stacks of holodisks and files piled on one of the shelves. Pink Pearl silently moved to do her command and Pink worked to search herself. If there were answers, she was sure they would be here. Something about how things have been going on as of late nagged away at the back of her mind. She just had to know that there was something more to it than what she was seeing. There had to be more.

"You search this side," Pink instructed, "I'll search the other."

Her pearl bowed once in acknowledgement and moved to do her bidding.

They spent a good bit of time searching through files and documents in the vast chamber. It had taken several long hours with little luck to show for before Pink had almost given up completely. She eventually found herself buried under holodisks when her pearl trotted up to her with an enormous plate in her hand. Pink sighed, making a face.

"What is that?" she asked.

"The last one I could find, my Diamond," Pink Pearl said. "It was hidden away, but I found it."

Pink smiled, eager. "Good job, Pearl!" she told her, reaching with two hands, "Give it here!"

Pink Pearl handed her the tablet and Pink switched it on. It lit up the chamber with revealed data of a new Kindergarten for Homeworld. Pink looked at her pearl curiously.

"Where did you find this?" she asked.

"Beneath White Diamond's special archives." Pink Pearl told her, bowing her head, "It was carefully hidden away among the rows. It seemed important to your search."

Pink murmured thoughtfully. She glanced at the schematics in front of her, scrolling through with a few swiped of her finger until she reached an image of a blueprint for a gem. The gem was large, standing tall and proud with curly locks and powerful eyes. She almost resembled a Diamond, but not one that Pink had ever seen.

"Who is she?" she wondered.

Pink Pearl leaned forward to see, frowning. "She...almost looks like you, my Diamond."

Pink thought about that for a moment. Her features darkened and she suddenly looked extremely troubled. Her pearl tilted her head with concern when she caught the look. A few seconds of silence passed before Pink rose, setting the tablet down beside her. Frowning thoughtfully, she then looked at Pink Pearl and gestured with one hand.

"We need to go to White's Moon Base," she told her. "White mentioned our murals were being worked on there before I emerged. I want to see it."

"See what, my Diamond?"

"I don't know. I just... I need to see."

Pink Pearl nodded her head.

O

The gems at the Moon Base saluted them when they arrived.

Pink was determined to find the mural and she passed the gems without acknowledgement. When she arrived in the vast chamber, she looked around wildly before freezing, eyes widening with a gasp of horror. Pink Pearl could only stare up at the source of her horror in shocked silence. Her hands slowly went to her mouth.

The mural before her depicted her in a tall, powerful pose, rising from what looked like the depths of the earth. Pink's eyes trembled and filled, several small sorrowful sounds escaping her. She dropped to her knees before the mural and began to cry softly in her hands.

This was her.

What she was MEANT to look like.

Pink Pearl reached out with two hands and rested them gently on her Diamond's shoulders. She didn't know what else to do to offer comfort.

Later that evening, Blue and Yellow had eventually arrived at the Moon Base, searching for Pink. They spent a good deal of the time arguing about the trial and what had happened. Blue had known something was amiss when Pink acted strangely before leaving.

"...You always do this, Yellow. I know you said something to upset her." Blue snapped.

"I was speaking the truth, Blue. I did not intend - "

"Of course, you do not intend anything..."

"That's hardly fair! I'm simply - "

The two Diamonds halted in the doorway of the vast mural chamber and silenced themselves when they saw Pink standing silently in front of the mural of what was supposed to be her. Yellow started to speak, but Blue raised one hand to silence her.

"Pink..." Blue began.

"What am I?" Pink asked, without looking back at them.

Blue and Yellow glanced briefly at each other before looking at her, stunned by the cold, wounded whisper in Pink's voice. A grave look touched Yellow's face and Blue swallowed thickly. She knew exactly what Pink asked of them. It was destined to come eventually that she would ask that question.

"You are a Diamond, Pink." Blue told her, quietly.

Pink was silent before she turned, facing them with anger glimmering in her eyes. Her cheeks were soaked with tears.

"What else?" she whispered, her voice shaken.

"What do you mean?" Blue asked, trying to pretend she knew otherwise.

Pink scowled, pointing at the mural. "This is me...isn't it?" she snapped, sniffling once, "This is what I'm supposed to be, right?" When they didn't answer, her eyes widened and she shouted loud enough for the walls to tremble. " _RIGHT?!_ "

The force of it had Yellow shutting her eyes and Blue flinching. Pink stared at them with wide eyes, her voice shaking out of her.

Blue looked down at her pearl. "Get White. Bring her here." she ordered.

"As you command, my Diamond," Blue Pearl said, bowing once and departing.

Pink laughed angrily, throwing her hands in the air. "Yes!" she snapped. "Bring White here! I want to hear the truth from her!"

Yellow glared down at her, attempting to gain control over the growing tension in the chamber. "Pink, you must calm down."

"CALM DOWN?!" Pink nearly shrieked, her eyes wide and filled with furious fire.

Behind her, vines with thorns had begun to sprout up through the ground with all the force of her pain and sorrow. The two Diamonds looked over their shoulders when they noticed White already there, approaching the scene. The eldest Diamond looked at the mural, to the vines and then to Pink.

Her features smoothed out with sadness. "Pink..."

"Can't I change? Can't I look like the rest of you?" Pink asked, without hesitation. She gestured to the three there. "Or do I look the way I do for another reason?"

White hesitated. Her lips parted somewhat.

" _TELL ME_!" Pink shrieked, tears falling down her cheeks.

Blue had jumped somewhat, her hands going to her mouth. Yellow shut her eyes painfully and White's features were pinched in sadness. Neither one of them spoke and for a moment, the only sounds in the room was the snapping of the vines behind Pink.

"You are who you are as you were meant to be." White replied, quietly.

"No! Say what I know you want to say!" Pink spat, "Defective!"

A tired sigh from White. "Why do you twist my words?"

"You could have told me what I was from the beginning! Why didn't you?" Pink demanded, "Instead, you chose to keep the truth from me! You're a liar!"

"Pink!" Blue gasped.

White raised one hand in front of her to silence her protest. Blue stared at the older Diamond, confused, but nothing was said from her.

White approached Pink, reached out with one hand to place it over her head, but Pink retreated from the touch with a pained whimper. She didn't want to be consoled from this. White lifted her hand and looked almost wounded by the movement, but simply tucked her hand back behind her robes.

"I wanted only to protect you from the truth..." White told her, still soft and sad.

"What?" Pink spat, "Because I'm defective? Because I didn't come out the way you wanted? Had I not been a Diamond, would you have had me shattered like the other gems that don't look how we want them to?"

"Pink - " Yellow started to argue.

"That makes so much sense now after all of these years!" Pink continued on, voice shaking; she pointed to Yellow now, "Why you acted the way you did! No matter the words, no matter what I said, you could never bear the thought of a defective Diamond standing beside you!"

She said nothing more and stormed passed them, quietly sobbing in her hand. Her pearl followed her and Blue called to Pink, pursuing.

"Pink! Pink, wait!" she pleaded.

White stood there, shut her eyes tightly and Yellow lingered for a moment. She sighed quietly and shook her head before departing as well.

The eldest Diamond was left alone with the murals around her.

O

Pink said nothing that night as Blue sat beside her on the cushion. She allowed herself to be petted on her head by the older Diamond. It had taken a bit of time for her to stop crying and just seek comfort in Blue's arms.

"Why?" Pink asked, quietly. "You've got to tell me."

Blue sighed sadly. "Pink, please try to understand..."

Pink sat up, wiped her eyes with one hand. She seemed to think about it for a long time before looking up at Blue with reddened eyes.

"So...everything I've ever known about myself..." she began. "It's...it's just a lie. I'm wrong."

Blue put her arms around her. "No! You are a Diamond, Pink. And we love you."

Pink was quiet and leaned into her arms once more.

"We should have told you long ago," Blue continued, gently stroking her head. "It wasn't right to keep such a thing from you. But White had the best intentions. She never wanted you to know what had come of you and to only allow you to be the Diamond we all belive you can be. White believed that had you known, it would only hurt you. In spite of her way, she loves you."

Pink leaned against her, allowing herself to be embraced this time. She shut her eyes and thought about Blue's words. "Should I apologize to White?"

"For what?" Blue looked down at her, frowning.

"I called her a liar. I think I hurt her feelings, too."

"White appreciates honestly, Pink. You were true to your feelings." Blue explained, "However, if you feel you must, go ahead. She is in her tower now."

"Okay."

Pink climbed out of bed and stepped out of the chamber. Pink Pearl and Blue Pearl were standing outside of the doors, waiting for their Diamonds. Pink started to walk away and her pearl followed behind her. They made their way to a nearby warp pad and were sent directly to White's tower.

Pink stepped inside, passing various gems and pearls. She wasn't sure where White was after scanning the halls and rooms in search for her.

"White?" she called. "White, where are you?"

She walked into White's main chamber and found the older Diamond standing in front of a large console. She wasn't wearing her enormous, elegant robes; instead, they had been removed, leaving her in her sleeveless black armor.

Pink noticed the little lines in her form traveled further up her arms and shoulders. Those hands were turning and flicking gently in the air as she mentallity lit and doused candles all around her with glowing, white fire. Pink was fascinated by the sight. She didn't speak for a moment and watched the fire before finally, looking back up at White.

"White." she said, again.

White stopped, turned and faced her. Her features smoothed out in surprise, almost as if she hadn't expected Pink to be standing there.

"Pink." she acknowledged, her tone still carrying a weight of sadness to it, "Are you feeling well?"

The Diamond nodded. "Yes. Blue was talking with me."

White smiled sadly. "Good."

"White, I..." Pink began, hesitantly approaching her. "I wanted to apologize for calling you a liar."

"Why?" White genuinely looked confused.

Pink frowned somewhat. "It looked like it upset you." she said.

A small laugh of disbelief from White. "I kept the truth from you and you're worried about upsetting me?" she murmured. When she read the look on Pink's face, she continued. "You were honest and true to yourself. I would expect no less from any of you. I would PREFER no less."

Pink glanced around the room at the candles.

White watched her silently for a moment before she spoke. "Pink..." she began, walking around the console to her side. "I did not intend to lie to you. I wanted you to feel like you belonged to us. I knew that if you saw that information, you would lose sight of the truth."

"Truth?" Pink questioned.

White knelt down at her level. "That no matter the case, you are a Diamond by rights. None of that can be taken from you regardless of what you are. We are Diamonds and nothing about that will change. You are a Diamond, Pink. Always."

Pink stared at her in silence before she put her arms around her. White looked startled by the embrace for a moment. Then, she chuckled softly and placed one hand around her to return the embrace.

She eventually pulled away and looked around at the candles. "I guess even you can get upset too, huh?" Pink remarked.

White once again laughed gently. "Emotions run deep within me, Pink. Perhaps deeper than most." she replied, "But I can properly find balance again. Through the fire." She gestured to the candles with one sweep of her hand.

Pink looked around. Then, she glanced down and her eyes widened at the sight of a glowing, blue butterfly fluttering passed her. Smiling brightly, she reached out and before she knew it, several butterflies filled the chamber.

White smile sadly as she watched her illusions project those images that Pink seemed to adore so much. It had never been her intent to hurt her, but she knew that perhaps logic didn't always apply. Especially with Pink.

O

Blue and Pink sat together, watching the stars on Earth. Pink was leaned against her comfortably while White watched from afar. She sighed quietly and didn't notice Yellow approaching until the other Diamond was already there.

"She needs company. Far more congenial than our own," White said, without even allowing Yellow the moment to speak. "That is her flaw, but her strength."

"I did not intend..." Yellow began. She didn't finish.

"Nor did I." White replied, "But Pink seems to understand her place in the universe. There has been no mistake."

Yellow understood her tone, nodding her head once. "Of course, White."

The two walked away while Pink and Blue spent some time together. Blue began to comb through Pink's locks of hair, attempting to get it into the shape that the younger Diamond wanted. Pink sat in her lap, eagerly awaiting for her to be finished.

"I want it to look strong, but not too scary," Pink said, "Something authoritative. Something that says..." She held out two hands for dramatic emphasis. "Pink Diamond."

Blue smiled warmly and kissed the top of her head. "As you wish, Pink."

Pink sat there in silence, humming a small melody. She raised her hands a little and blossoms began to form all around them. Blue brightened with a happy smile and she watched the things take shape, blooming into the most lovely things she had ever seen. It was still amazing how Pink could manipulate organic life. She had no idea how intended that had been, but it was beautiful.

Regardless, Pink was and always would be a Diamond.


	4. Part Four: Fire

~O~

 **Part Four: Fire**

White and Pink stood in the vast training chamber that day. Yellow and Blue stood along the sidelines with their pearls, watching as the youngest Diamond trained with White.

It had been necessary to continue these sessions as the many years went by. It was also Pink who had insisted on getting stronger to prove she was more than just a defected Diamond. White hadn't been pleased to see her look at herself in such a way, regardless of the facts behind her existence, but Pink had chosen to remember herself as what she was.

"You've improved since we last trained," White told her, "That is no lie. However, I believe that since your powers draw form from your emotions, that can become an even greater source of strength. Perhaps it was in error that I assumed your strength would come from control. Instead, feel what brings life to you."

Pink nodded her head. "So...like something that makes me happy?"

"Yes." White said, smiling. "Find something within you that brings out the greatest feeling imaginable. From there, you may draw the source of your power."

Pink glanced toward the other two Diamonds, then to her pearl watching nervously. She sighed, plucked at the elbow-length gloves on her arms before pacing.

"Well, there is one," Pink said. She laughed a little. "It's the happiest I've ever felt but it's complicated. I think it comes from a song."

White tilted her head. "A song?"

"Yes." Pink replied, thinking of the music she'd remembered from her time deep within the earth. She wasn't sure if it had been a memory or perhaps a dream, but it had given her such content. "When I was incubating, I heard a quiet melody around me. It was... It was nice." She failed to see Blue's face light up with delight. "It made me feel safe."

White smiled and glanced toward Blue. "Ah, I think I understand. It could be perhaps Blue would sing to you before you emerged. She believed it would help you feel welcome."

"It's true," Blue spoke now, happy.

White nodded her approval. Well, that was certainly a start. "Good." she said, "That is sufficient enough for you to use it as necessary. Let's give it a try, Pink." She looked down at the smaller Diamond. "Do you feel you are ready?"

Pink smiled. "I do!"

At that, White backed away slowly at a reasonable distance. She watched Pink close her eyes and take a deep breath. The smaller Diamond's gem began to glow faintly. Blue and Yellow glanced down at the sight of vines sprouting from the floor at their feet. Flowers had begun to bloom from them before sprouting what looked like glowing buds.

White observed the sight with a mixture of curiosity and awe.

Pink raised two hands and opened her eyes. She looked around at the vines with a small smile. White raised two hands now and moved her wrists in a turning gesture. Pink imitated the move and the vines snapped once, rearing upwards.

"Wow! Look at me!" she exclaimed, with a delighted laugh, "I'm doing it!"

White chuckled gently. "Yes, you are. Very good work, Pink. I can see you've become stronger since I last trained with you. Now, bend them to your will. You will use that energy to form a weapon."

"A weapon?" Pink looked surprised.

"Yes. All of us possess the means of creating one." White explained. "It isn't often necessary for us to do so, but it is simply a skill we all know and utilize. It is one more thing that makes us superior to all gem life - our ability to create with our very hands whatever we imagine possible."

Well, that certainly made sense and Pink had hoped that the weapon she made would be impressive. A part of her had a feeling that as a "defect", it wouldn't be nearly as grand. But White seemed to have hope in her, so it gave her confidence.

"What's yours?" Pink eventually asked.

White smiled, at that and raised one hand. A long handle began to materialize in her palm in glittering white light. Then, a long, curved blade formed at the very end of it. The sight of it had Blue and Yellow react with soft gasps. It had been a long time since they'd seen White make her weapon.

A scythe.

Blue watched the scene warily. "White?" she said, "Are you sure that's..."

White looked at her briefly. "It's fine, Blue. It will allow Pink the opportunity to exercise her emotions as necessary. That is never an unwise endeavor." she assured her. Turning to Pink now, she smiled. "Well then, Pink? Show me what you can do."

Pink looked concerned. "Wait. What if I hurt you?"

"I can assure you, no harm will come to me."

Pink nodded her head, determined. She watched the oldest Diamond stand there, strong and silent as she awaited her next move. She clutched her scythe tightly in her hands. She had no idea what sort of weapon she would create.

The youngest Diamond raised her hands again and the vines crackled loudly. White continued to stand calmly. Pink's hands clenched tightly and the vines lunged at White with loud, almost piercing whistling sounds.

Blue gasped and Yellow's eyes widened in shock. White waited until the vines were close enough to her before she spun on her heels, her cloak humming with energy, her scythe cutting through every vine with expert precision. Once they had been done away with, White stood there with a small smile.

"It wasn't a weapon..." Pink said, her enthusiasm deflating.

"Perhaps we should look at this in another way," White said, glancing down at the remains of the vines, "Maybe a weapon in the traditional sense is not within your reach...but the force of nature itself." She smiled now, quite proud of the younger Diamond. "It's a fascinating change that I wholly welcome."

"Wow!" Pink exclaimed, thrusting her hands in the air.

The force of her enthusiasm had one of the vines flying through the air, slapping White across the face. She blinked once and Pink's hands shot up to her mouth. Yellow looked stunned and Blue couldn't resist a giggle behind her hand. White surely looked unharmed, but rather unimpressed.

"Sorry!" Pink said, trying not to laugh.

White raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps that is enough lessons for today."

O

They were walking through Pink's gardens that afternoon. Well, Pink had been carried in White's arm anyway. Pink had insisted that White see the effort put into it and how beautiful it looked. It was White who had seen such things many times, though felt no necessity for them.

Still, Pink took pride in her creations. Perhaps that was what mattered.

"...the universe is always changing, Pink," White had been explaining, to the Diamond on her shoulder. "You see this through an eye of logic and you watch it adapt. Evolve beyond its own existence into something more."

"Is there more to it?" Pink asked.

White glanced at her. "What do you mean?"

"Well, more." Pink told her, gesturing to herself, then to White. "Isn't there more to those things? There has to be."

White murmured thoughtfully. She seemed to think about it only for a second. "If there is, I would cherish the thought of being wrong."

Pink smiled with amusement and raised her eyebrows. Well, she didn't believe White could joke at all. "Oh my Stars, you made a joke. I can't wait to tell Blue."

"You make gambles often?"

Pink laughed and nodded. "She tells me you don't joke or get angry easily."

"This is true. That comes with my age as well, I suppose."

White gave her a look before smiling thinly. It went away as quick as lightning. Pink looked down at one of the many rose bushes that filled her garden. Raising one hand, she concentrated on having the plant blossom with various lovely roses.

"Hey, White?" Pink said. "What was Homeworld like before?"

"Before what?"

"Before the Authority."

White shook her head. "There was no Homeworld before. I was the first to emerge."

Pink's eyes widened in amazement. "Really?"

White smiled and nodded. "Yes."

"But...didn't it get lonely?" Pink asked.

White thought about it. In truth, she had never considered her solitude as such. "No. I didn't think of it as loneliness," she told her, explaining it patiently, "I emerged to dark and with it, a fire that brought life to all of our world."

She held up her free hand and white, glowing flames appeared in the center of her palm. Pink watched the fire with awe. White continued to explain.

"Fire is the source of all life in the universe. Many beings seek its comforting glow for warmth, peace and nourishment. It was from my fire that I created the first gems. And those gems created gems themselves. And so the cycle continued."

 _The stars._

 _White Diamond had emerged alone from the cold, unwelcoming ground. Around her existed nothing but the silence. Always the silence. Now the world she walked upon was formless and empty. Everything around her was dark._

 _Despite this, she observed the cosmos above her with wide, wondrous eyes._

 _White flames danced around her._

 _White Diamond looked down, awestruck at the sight of bright, glowing flames that flickered around her form. It was fire that burned as bright and hot as the sun; it wasn't around her, it was within her, welcoming her with its warm, wonderful embrace._

 _She smiled now, staring at her hands as flamed embraced them, warming her to a wonderful new life._

 _Tears streamed down her cheeks and she laughed._

 _To think, SHE laughed._

"Wow." Pink said, amazed.

White smiled a little when she thought of her first conquest. "When I sought out to spread our existence across the cosmos, I was...a bit theatrical then." she continued.

Pink giggled. "I can't imagine you being theatrical."

"Oh?" White chuckled, looking at the young Diamond in her arm. "We were all young at some point, Pink. I was much like you when I first emerged."

"Really?"

"Oh yes. Young, unformed and with a vibrant energy that could rival thousands of suns." White replied. "I am old now. And with my age came millions of years of understanding. Of change. Of adapting. Now I am ancient and unchanged."

Pink shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know about that."

White looked at her curiously. "No?" she said, deciding to indulge her a little.

"Well, if you were, you wouldn't be smiling more," Pink explained, "Blue told me that you didn't smile as much before I emerged." She paused, then added sadly. "Even though I am defective."

White stopped walking and sighed. She didn't want to talk about this again. "Pink..."

"No, I know what I am, White." Pink said, with a sad smile. "I know I didn't come out right. I know I wasn't what you wanted. But I'm here. I made it and I'm a good, strong Diamond on my own." Off of White's impassive features, she continued. "I know I can be a good Diamond. I just have to work harder. I understand that now."

White was silent, but seemed to think about her words. Then, she nodded her approval. "You are a creation of great pride and hope. I am grateful for this."

Pink smiled and put her arms around her neck in a hug. White blinked once. Twice. She glanced down at the smaller Diamond in silence for a moment. Then, she smiled and returned the embrace with one hand patting her head.

O

Fire.

White raised two hands and a swirling orb of fire levitated in the center of the four Diamonds; it produced images of past events that had taken place on Homeworld. Yellow, Blue and Pink watched in silence, taken by the sight.

"Order has always been the basis of our survival," White began, "Through logic and order we strive to evolve. It is in this that we've lived. And we will continue to live when we follow this path."

White continued talking about the history of Homeworld and its creation before Pink had fallen asleep in Blue's lap. The older Diamond smiled warmly down at her, lightly stroking her hair. Yellow caught the look, smiled a little.

Perhaps she had been too hard on Pink, but she'd hoped that the youngest Diamond would see why; she had much to learn about the responsibilities being a Diamond brought. But Pink had been doing well for herself. Yellow could admit that.

That evening, Pink was laying in her chamber, watching a glowing white candle nearby, carefully flickering with the subtle changes in the air. Her pearl had lingered by the door, standing as silently as she'd always been trained to.

"Pearl, come here a minute," she said.

Immediately, Pink Pearl wandered to Pink's bedside and lowered her head. "Yes, my Diamond."

Pink sat up now. "I have an idea. About the zoo." she told her. "I was thinking that if my colony was going to be formed, we should keep as many of them as we can, right?"

Pink Pearl smiled. "Of course."

"I haven't seen any of the others try to preserve specimens. White does, but not things like the humans," Pink continued, "They're really cute too. I think if I'm going to be a good Diamond, I have to do something that neither one of them have ever done before."

She tapped her chin thoughtfully. Pink Pearl raised one hand. "My Diamond, if I may..." she began. "I know I am but a simple pearl and my opinion holds no weight, but I may have an idea."

Pink smiled. "Tell me!"

"Well, these humans you've collected were originally for amusement, yes?" Pink Pearl said, "What if we were to do more for them? Since they are to be extinguished with the creation of your colony, perhaps we could make the zoo a preservation project. Not only will Homeworld learn more of them, it will give them knowledge of an alien species that would be ultimately lost. Your saving them could preserve their legacy."

Pink brightened. "Pearl, that's a great idea!"

Pink Pearl chuckled softly, lowering her eyes. "It's but a simple suggestion, my Diamond. I would hardly take credit for - "

She gave a grunt when Pink embraced her. Startled, she looked at her Diamond for a moment, but Pink seemed pleased with her suggestion.

"I have the smartest pearl in all of Homeworld," she said.

Pink Pearl blushed and smiled happily.

O

Rose Quartz wandered down the corridors before entering the zoo. Several others of her gem make were already there, tending to the humans as they had been made to. She noticed two very young humans happily playing together by chasing floating ribbons.

One of them grinned and gestured to her. "Play with us, Rose!"

Rose smiled brightly. "Ah, you're so innocent," she said, "There can be no wrong with you."

Her smile thinned a little and she glanced at the other humans being tended to by the various quartz's such as herself. The sight of it should have been good. It should have given her a sense of joy to see them so well taken care of.

But it didn't.

The following day, White was standing on the colony, observing a valley of vines that had ensnared the field far beyond what she could see. Pink was standing beside her and made a face. Her pearl also seemed equally sickened.

"Ugh. What a mess," Pink murmured.

"This will serve to be the promising site of my new testing facility," White told her. "This way, I can visit and monitor the specimens."

She glanced down at Pink and smiled. The younger Diamond looked up at her.

"Well? Do what you do best, Pink." White said.

Pink brightened happily. She turned her attention to the vines and raised two hands. Immediately, the vines in the field began to snap before parting into bundles. Pink clenched her fists now and the vines withered into nothing more than piles of debris.

"I hope my colony looks as great as the rest of yours," Pink told her.

"You've done well," White assured her, "And you should feel pride. As I knew you would, you've become the Diamond we expected of you."

Pink smiled with pride. Then, she looked toward the field. "What are you putting here, anyway?"

"A testing facility specifically to monitor my newest specimens," White explained, "Control. I seek to maintain that order through a new form. Maintaining the emotional responses often clouding the thoughts of my gems."

"So this isn't a colony?" Pink questioned.

"No. It's a moon." White explained. "I will have many gems here serve a purpose for the greater good."

Pink tilted her head as she studied the field.

She began to understand White's meaning when it came to the greater good.


	5. Part Five: War

_Note_ \- Battle scenes here between the Rebellion and Homeworld were inspired by the OST "Battle" by Steve Jablonsky.

~O~

 **Part Five: War**

How had it gotten so far out of control?

Pink watched the recordings of the war from the safety of her chambers that day. White had been standing beside her and offered the suggestion, despite Pink's feelings. She knew it wasn't their fault, but White assured her that it was just to be careful.

"But they didn't do anything wrong," Pink protested.

White nodded. "Be that as it may, it could have been a flaw with their entire gem make," she reminded her, "This is to be safe and to protect you. The entire cut of gem must be kept in bubbles until we can destroy this renegade one."

Pink looked up at the bubbled Rose Quartz's. She sighed sadly and nodded her head. It had been difficult to do it, but White had been right. It had to be done. Then, the sad look on her face was replaced with determination.

"I'll fix it, White." she said.

White wanted to give the Diamond the benefit of the doubt. "I will give you time to do so, Pink." White reminded her. "But if you cannot, we will have to...correct it."

"It's not my fault, White!"

"I understand that it is not. But we cannot allow the Rebellion to make its way into Homeworld." White reminded her. "Remember this. Our way must be preserved and we will do whatever it takes to keep Logic and Order together."

Pink sighed, nodding her head. "I understand."

Meanwhile, the battle on Earth raged on between Homeworld and the Rebellion at the Prime Kindergarden. Gems poured out of their holes immediately to begin fighting. Leading the charge of the Rebellion had been Rose Quartz, with her Renegade Pearl at her side.

While the battle raged on, White had addressed her legion of Onyx soldiers standing before her. They had been her finest warriors she could create, meant solely for the purpose of quick, efficient warfare. Made in her very image. Thin forms, white crown of hair, eyes pale white orbs; they were the very images of perfection. Risking even ten of them in battle was necessary.

"Control." White spoke the mantra they were familiar with upon their training under her thumb, "Why do we seek control?"

"'Control is the basis of peace. Peace is maintained by Order. Order is the foundation of survival'." the Onyx's spoke in a near monotone collective.

White nodded her head. "Good. You know your directive. Now seek out the Rebellion. Leave none standing in your way."

The Onyx's saluted her simultaneously.

"Your mind goes to dark places and you wonder why I keep the worst from you."

Blue frowned at White; she hadn't appreciated what she felt was a personal attack, but then again, that was White's way. Blunt and to the point. She had kept the severity of the war from her in an effort to keep them calm. She knew that Blue's emotions stirred a problem.

"We cannot continued to generate soldiers on the colony for much longer," White told her, "The only option we have left is to use the song when it comes time."

Blue shook her head and her features filled with pain. "White..."

White regarded her, diamond irises narrowing. "And if we don't, we risk them trampling through Homeworld and destroying all that we've built."

"I agree," Yellow said, stepping into the chamber.

"But Yellow, this is Pink's chance to fix this," Blue insisted, "We owe that much to her."

"I don't want to see Homeworld fall at the Rebellion either, Blue." Yellow told her, raising an eyebrow. "Would you?"

"Of course not!" Blue said, frowning. She sighed and looked out at the great city below them. "But what of Pink? What will become of her colony once it's filled with twisted things?"

"We will find her another." Yellow assured her.

O

Fire.

Burning metal.

"Rose?" Pearl watched her. "Are you alright?"

Rose nodded her head, wiping her face with one hand. "Yes, Pearl. I'm fine," she assured her. "I wish it hadn't come to that."

Humans often felt the roaring of blood in their ears. What Rose felt right now was quite the equivalent of that; a pounding shriek through her entire form. Now that it had happened, she couldn't stop shaking. All of those gems. Poor things...

"Garnet." Rose turned and found the fusion working on bubbling the fallen Kindergarden gems. "Is that all of them?"

Garnet nodded her head. "It is. Just one more."

She reached down toward the dispelled Amethyst, forming a bubble around her gem. Giving the bubble a little tap, she sent it on her way. Busmuth's sword was certainly capable of cutting through gem forms as she had said. It would never have shattered a gem. Rose would not have that.

Pearl and Rose had started talking and she turned to focus on their conversation.

"I cannot make gems understand, Pearl." she reminded her. "They will choose shattering of the Diamonds. I don't want anyone to forget why we fight this war to begin with. That isn't what we are. That isn't what we should be. That is reserved for the Diamond Authority. We are not the Diamonds and we never will be."

"But - "

"No." Rose's tone was still gentle, but firm that she had meant what she said.

Pearl still seemed to doubt that, but nonetheless, didn't argue further.

The smell of fire from gem weapons began to choke her senses, so she followed Rose as they made their way back toward their group.

That evening, the battle had died down, leaving an uncomfortable silence at the campsite. Rose had been sitting quietly in front of a roaring fire while Bismuth was telling stories to a group of humans who had agreed to join their battle. Some of them called themselves "Vikings". Others "bushi" - whic Rose later learned were "Samurai".

Pearl took her larger hands in hers as much as she could. She gave Rose a look and the other gem sighed gently through her nose. She shut her eyes, shook her head and slowly pulled her hands from Pearl's. The action seemed to wound Pearl and Rose smiled reassuringly.

"This war wasn't for me, Pearl. Remember that." she reminded her. "This is to free humans and gems from the Diamond Authority."

Pearl nodded, clearing her throat delicately.

Yes, of course.

It still baffled her how Rose could adore the humans so much; they were weak, simple creatures with little to show for their lives. But if Rose was happy defending them, then Pearl could do the same.

Later that evening when the humans had fallen asleep, Rose discussed her plans with the gems around her. She had hoped the humans wouldn't get too involved, but they had chosen to fight for their home and she had to respect them for that.

"...We do not want a fight between the Diamonds."

"It's true. White is the most formidable of them. We don't want her stepping into the battlefield."

"But she has a weakness."

Rose didn't like this kind of talk. She didn't like thinking of the idea of what may come. It wasn't something she wanted; the destruction of so many gem lives as well as the deaths of humans. But she understood what was necessary in battle now.

The gem who had mentioned a weakness was a blue Turquoise, one of Blue Diamond's former guard. The gem seemed quite adept at coming up with ideas, even if Rose wasn't quite pleased with some of them. Many of them called for the worst kind of violence.

"What weakness?" Rose asked.

Turquoise smiled. "You know what that weakness is, Rose. It's Pink."

Rose thought about it before her eyes widened. "No. We can't."

Bismuth seemed eager to jump at the idea. "Rose, if we don't do something about it, this world's gonna crack like an egg! It's worse out there than it needs to be!"

"No. Another way. We won't become them!"

Turquoise smiled at her and put a hand on her shoulder. "You won't have to. I know gems of Pink Diamond's court. Many would jump at the chance."

Rose looked at each expectant face, features twisting in pain. "Do you even know what you ask?" she whispered. "Do you understand what that could do to all of us? It's not just defeating them. We're talking about destroying Pink Diamond!"

"A Diamond. A Diamond who would harvest this planet and destroy everything we're fighting for!" Bismuth insisted. "Rose, we've been holding them back long enough! It's time to finish it!"

Turquoise nodded her approval. "It seems we have an accord."

"Rose won't even be able to get anywhere close to Pink Diamond," another gem - a Topaz reminded them, "The rest of her gem cut had been put into storage. Anyone could see her approach."

"We all know that there are many of her gems who don't see Pink as a fit ruler," Turquoise assured the gems around her, "We need only wait for our opportunity."

O

The fires of the battlefield choked the air.

An Ocean Jasper charged through the chaos, giving a loud, powerful war cry. Rows upon rows of gems in her path were brought down by her sword. The surge of battle, coupled with the smell of scorched earth and fire fueled her on.

She gave a laugh of glee and pointed one finger at two amethyst's, armed with spears. The gems withered a little and backed away from her.

"Come and face me!" she shouted, "I'll bring you down!"

The two gems backed away, frightened. The Ocean Jasper smirked and advanced upon them, blade glinting. Once they were dispelled, she looked over at the sound of someone calling her name. The Ocean Jasper looked up and grinned when she spotted an Angel Aura Quartz standing there.

"Angel!" the Ocean Jasper yelled, waving. "We did it! This battallion didn't stand a chance."

Angel beamed with delight. "You were right!" she yelled back.

Ocean Jasper laughed, waved her off. Then, her smile slowly disappeared when she spotted a shape approaching Angel. A loud metallic sound filled the air and she caught the gleam of two blades as they were being drawn from a forehead gem.

"ANGEL!" Ocean Jasper shouted.

The gem frowned and turned, mere seconds as she noticed the Onyx. Two blades cleaved through her form, dispelling her in a puff of silver smoke. When her gem clattered to the ground, a heeled foot came down, shattering her to dust.

Ocean Jasper stood there, eyes wide in horror. She wavered, shaking with wrath that choked her senses. The Onyx calmly regarded the Crystal Gems and someone whispered among the group, frightened; however, Ocean Jasper gave a fierce, thunderous scream and charged forward.

Onyx watched her, standing strong. She raised her swords, catching Ocean Jasper's blade between them.

"You fight rather bravely for nothing more than a forgotten slave." she said.

"Her name was Angel!" the Ocean Jasper shrieked, tears stinging her eyes.

"Mm," Onyx rumbled, with a cold smile, "Cut away a loved one and where does it hurt?"

Suddenly, a whip encircled Onyx,wrapping around her entire form. The gem staggered back a bit and looked over her shoulder. The owner of the whip was a Yellow Agate. She smirked, struggling to hold back Onyx despite the wary look on her eyes.

"I command you to fall!" Yellow Agate shouted.

Onyx was sent flying through the air as she tossed her into the ground. Ocean Jasper gasped in shock, watching a plume of smoke shoot up where the Onyx impacted. She looked up as the Yellow Agate approached her.

"Angel..." she moaned, "She shattered..."

"I know. But you must fight," Yellow Agate told her, firmly, "Fight for her. Fight for all of us!"

They expected to see Onyx being poofed by the force of such an attack, but instead, the gem calmly stood up from the rubble, calmly dusting herself off.

"You've been taught well, but you are purely the soldier of a contemptible warrior," Onyx said, approaching her menacingly, "Your vanity, your pride. That is your weakness."

Ocean Jasper snarled out with wrath, standing with her sword at the ready. Behind her, several Crystal Gems had begun to form ranks, weapons ready to take down the single Onyx who stood among them. Her eyes locked onto each opposing gem, scanning their faces for any fear.

"This is Earth!" a Topaz told her. "This is our home and we promise to defend it from you Homeworld gems!"

Onyx shook her head slowly. "Indignant fools..." She held out her swords in a fighting stance. "Come. I will be your deliverance."

"You won't take us all!" Yellow Agate spat.

"I will complete my mission," Onyx promised them, her gaze unwavering.

"No, you WONT!" Topaz shouted, charging.

Onyx promptly raised both blades and jumped, spinning through the air in a move similar to a Jasper's spinning dash. Topaz raised her massive fists, attempting to block the move, but Onyx ducked forward, slicing through her form without hesitation.

To the horror of the others, they watched as Topaz disappeared in a burst of smoke. They continued their charge and a spear fired a round of energy, striking Onyx in the chest and sending her falling backwards.

Onyx's chest was smoking slightly from the attack. She simply stood back up, brushed the dust from her uniform and charged again.

Behind her, several more Onyx's surged through the smoke to join. The Crystal Gems could only watch in shock at the sight of ten of White Diamond's elite warriors arrived into battle.

"Oh no!" Yellow Agate gasped, horrified.

O

"What else can we do?"

"...She's trying, Yellow. Don't you see that?"

"There's trying and there's succeeding. In war, which do you think matters most?"

Pink had been listening to their entire conversation from the other side of the door. She shut her eyes tightly, forcing the thick feeling of anguish down her throat. She turned and made her way down the corridors and eventually, her pearl greeted her.

"My Diamond?" she said, "I've received word from the battallion at Beta that they've won! They were able to push back Rebel forces."

She noticed Pink walking ahead of her and her eyes widened. She quickly hurried to follow.

Pink stepped onto the warp pad and her pearl joined her. "Pearl, I want you to stay at the zoo and make sure the humans stay there. I want it on full lockdown."

Pink Pearl nodded. "Of course, my Diamond. But...where will you go?"

Pink's look was grave. "I'm going to finish this war."

"B-But my Diamond!"

Pink scowled at her. "Pearl, enough!" she spat. "It's got to stop! I have to stop it! You've heard what they say when I'm not around. You know they don't think I can end it. I let it go on for too long. It's..." Her voice softened and she looked as though she was struggling not to cry. "It's my fault."

Pink Pearl stared at her sadly. She said nothing more.

"No, I'll be the one who finishes it," Pink told her, determined. "I want you to send a message to Rose Quartz and have my forces stand down. It'll be just the two of us. No others. Do you understand?"

"It's dangerous, my Diamond!" Pink Pearl cried, "Please, there has to be a way out of this! What if you walk into a trap? I can't - "

"Pearl!" Pink shouted, silencing her immediately. "Do what I say."

Pink Pearl withered, then lowered her head with a sad whimper at the force of Pink's shout. Pink sighed, put her arms around her to comfort her.

"Pearl...you are my favorite and I know I could always trust you," she assured her. "That's why I know you'll listen. I know you'll keep any more of my gems from Rose. I know you'll keep the humans in the zoo safe. Just...call back my gems and I'll go to Earth. I'll finish this once and for all."

Pink Pearl still looked frightened for her.

"I'm a Diamond. She won't stand a chance." Pink assured her once more, smiling.

O

What did they call this place?

Oh, of course. Pink remembered the lessons of the humans.

She wandered to the meeting place in Korea; her palanquin clacking quietly through the night fog. She began to think about the other Diamonds and how - despite their best intentions - they did not believe her capable of stopping the war on her own.

Pink had no idea how it'd gotten so bad. She had tried with every bit of herself to keep Rose Quartz and the Rebellion from Homeworld. But because of her healing - the very thing Pink wanted her to have - she had the advantage.

It had been her fault.

The palanquin stopped upon her command and Pink shut her eyes, calming herself with a single breath before she stepped out.

Rose was standing there, sword and shield in her arms. No other gems were around. Pink stared at her gravely before she stepped down and onto the earth. Both gems were silent as they simply exchanged looks of purpose.

"It's good to see you, Rose." Pink finally said, "I see you were true to your word. You're alone."

Rose smiled sadly, nodding. "It took some persuading, but I was able to meet."

Pink sighed and stood strong. Her resolve seemed unwavering. "Are you ready?" she asked. Off of Rose's nod, Pink continued to stare. "A part of me wishes we didn't have to do this. I loved you, Rose. I was so happy when you were finally emerging."

Rose shook her head now. "Then why are we?"

Now, Pink scoffed. "Oh, you know why! I have no choice, after what you did."

"What I did?" Rose exclaimed, with horror, "You made that zoo with every intent of treating those humans with such disdain and contempt. You made them to be your toys. Your playthings. What else was I supposed to do? Sit by and watch?"

"Yes!" Pink hissed, clenching her fists. Her eyes shimmered as she restrained the urge to cry. "That was your place. I am a Diamond! I made you in my image and you were meant to obey my rule alone! I'm a good Diamond! I am going to make this right!"

"But you don't have to follow them!" Rose insisted. "You can be different! I've seen it! You're better than they are! I know you are!"

Pink glowered at her. "What, you think I'll rebel? I'm not like you." she hissed, "We were together. We were happy. But you betrayed me – all of us – and you..." Her voice started shaking and tears poured down her cheeks. "They don't think I can do it. But I'll prove that I can! I'll end it myself!"

"Pink, please..." Rose pleaded, "I don't want to fight you. I came to make peace. This has gone on long enough! It's madness!"

"Madness?" Pink was shaking, tears pouring freely down her cheeks. "You brought this madness on us all! I gave you life, Rose..."

Behind her, vines began to rise, snapping menacingly. Her hands lifted and the ground began to shake. Rose looked at Pink sorrowfully, knowing the Diamond would not be persuaded. She was set to finish the war through violence.

And Rose was so tired.

"I WILL TAKE IT BACK!" Pink screamed.

She thrust her hands forward and Rose's shield was already up.

The sound of their battle resonated through the air, casting birds away in flocks.

O

 _Note_ \- Rose and Pink facing one another and talking was inspired by "The Upside Down" from the Stranger Things OST. The progressive change to the darker notes especially.


	6. Part Six: Sorrow

_Note_ \- This chapter is inspired by the song "Heroes" by Peter Gabriel.

~O~

 **Part Six: Sorrow**

Pink hadn't arrived.

White hadn't been concerned at first; she addressed Blue and Yellow regarding the special weapon she'd been creating while testing on gems. It had been a song used to essentially rewrite their entire code into gruesome, horrific forms. Her process in doing so had been worked on for a very long time. She had been dedicated in creating perfection and destruction as necessary as she felt it was.

Yellow and Blue had essentially found the song to be a terrible creation, but with the war growing far more intense with every passing day, it was looking more and more necessary.

"White, we cannot..." Blue protested, softly.

White sighed, shaking her head. "I hardly express any joy in this act, but it is a necessary evil if we are to gain control once more." She looked up at them and reminded them of the mantra. "Control. Why do we seek control?"

"'Control is the basis of peace. Peace is maintained by Order'," Yellow and Blue said, "'Order is the foundation of survival'."

White nodded her approval. They seemed to understand now. "Good. Both of you must understand; I take no pleasure in what we're about to do. Corrupting all that we strove for is by no means a decision we make lightly. But it must be done. We will give our forces a chance to pull back before we initiate the process. Now Pink..."

She paused, looked over her shoulder with a frown. She seemed to have expected the younger Diamond to be there by now, but she wasn't. Blue and Yellow noticed the look on her face. It was different and yet somehow, it gave them an uncertain sense of dread.

"White?" Blue said, "White, what is it?"

White turned to go. "Where is Pink?" she asked.

"I assume at the zoo," Yellow replied, "She had mentioned that she would be going there to see to the gems and her humans."

"You _assume_?" White's voice dropped only a fraction.

Yellow frowned at her tone. It was abrupt and not what she expected from the older Diamond. "I don't know, White. With the way things have been - "

Blue suddenly looked frightened. "Wait, none of us know where she is?"

White scowled now and turned, departing from the room without another moment of hesitation. She quickly made her way down the corridors and toward a warp pad. Ignoring the inquiries from her various pearls, she stepped onto the pad and it sent her directly to the zoo.

She made her way down the corridors and had been met by two Red Agates. They saluted upon seeing her approach.

"Your Grand Clarity!" they exclaimed.

"Pink. I must see her." White told them, "Where is she?"

The two Agates looked confused.

"Our Diamond is not here. She has made her way to Earth," the left one told her, "She has commanded it of us to remain here along with her pearl to guard over the humans."

"She's on Earth?" White's eyes slowly widened. "Without her pearl?"

The Agates looked uneasy by the abrupt change on White's face.

"Y-Yes, your Grand Clarity!" the right one stammered, still in salute. "In a human location known as Korea. She insisted on it!"

White stood there, staring at them with wide eyes. Then, she blinked turned and immediately departed for the warp pad once more.

She was sent to Earth and was immediately welcomed by a heavy wash of rain. White looked up as the water pelted her face. It had been a long time since she experienced the waters of Earth. She had no interest in pondering this right now, however; she would find Pink and hopefully well. Something about her departure bothered her.

Making her way through the fields, she started for the location that the Agates had specified. She was unfamiliar with the sensation of fear, but it clutched itself tightly in her chest. She started forward through the storm.

Whispers.

White could faintly hear the sound of whispers in the air. She blinked once. Twice.

Something was wrong.

White stopped walking when she spotted something gleaming in the mud. She frowned thoughtfully, made her way toward it and noticed that it was a pink shard. Curious, she bent down and retrieved it, turning it in her hands for study.

It looked like a part of a palanquin.

"Pink..." White whispered.

Her features turned ashen and her eyes widened. She looked up and noticed several more pink shards that littered the ground nearby. Starting forward, White followed them as they formed a hideous pink trail across the rain-soaked earth.

She hadn't realized how her voice started to shake as she followed the trail.

It led her to the ruins of Pink's palanquin and the Diamond lying in the rain on her side. White's eyes widened in horror and she immediately rushed to her.

"Pink!" she gasped, kneeling.

Pink was gently picked up into her arms and her fingers were clutching at her gem on her belly. She looked like she'd taken a hit from something powerful. Her eyes weakly fluttered open and she looked around, as if in a daze. Then, she whimpered and White gently soothed her.

"Shh, shhh, it's okay," she whispered, her voice shaken as she took the younger Diamond into her arms and held her close, "I have you, Pink. It's alright."

Pink groaned softly, still clutching her gem in two hands. "She...She ran when she heard you coming..." she breathed, wincing.

White caught the pained look and glanced down at her hands closed over her gem. She moved to pry them away, but Pink moaned and shook her head rapidly. White froze, read the distress on her face.

"Pink, let me see," she hissed, her voice suddenly changing with an edge of distress. She gently tried to pull Pink's hands away. "Please, let me see it, Pink."

Pink moaned in protest, but she eventually pulled her hands away. White looked down and her gasp of horror filled the air. Pink shut her eyes tightly at the sound and the choked noise that burst from White was the most foreign sound she'd ever heard.

"I...I tried to stop it..." Pink mumbled, her eyes glazed over with pain, "I didn't think... I didn't think it would hit so strong. But I... I thought if I stopped Rose, I could fix what happened. I'm so sorry, White."

White shook her head rapidly. "Pink, you don't have to apologize! I-"

"Yes! Yes, I do..." Pink argued, hissing sharply. "I made the Rose Quartz's. I had to have them a certain way. I shouldn't have - "

White looked up sharply when she heard a noise of a distant explosion. "Okay..." she whispered. "We'll have to get you home. I-I can fix you. I can... I can fix you."

Pink laughed weakly. "You can't fix me, White."

"Hush. Let's get home. Home. Yes..." White seemed disoriented, shaken and not like the collected Diamond Pink was used to seeing. Her eyes were glazed with something equivalent to sorrow. "Fix you. I will fix you, Pink."

"You can't..."

O

Blue had begun to pace around the room. Back and forth she went and her pearl had to step aside to avoid the frantic pace. She was waiting for White to return, worried about what had become of her. The Diamond was strong and could hold her own in battle, but she feared for her safety as well as Pink's.

Crowds of gems were talking worriedly around her. Some of them whispered dangers of the war, of losing the battle to the Rebellion. Blue shut her eyes, uncertain of the future as well. Things weren't looking too well for them.

She began to wonder if this would mean an end to their rule. The Rebellion had the means to heal whatever Homeworld armies could destroy. Essentially, having Rose Quartz meant no end in sight.

"What do we do, Yellow?" Blue asked.

Yellow was watching the distant crowds. "We use the song. It's the only way. You've heard White."

"It's wrong. It defies everything we've worked for."

"It must be..." Yellow began.

She looked beyond Blue and her eyes widened. Blue followed her gaze and spotted the sharp, angular features of White making her way through the crowds; many of them parted, shock and horror on their faces.

Someone in the crowd screamed.

Blue began to approach, her smile slowly drained from her face; it was like watching a symphony unfold as her features crumbled and twisted with anguish.

White's features were blank, twisted into something no gem had ever seen on her face. All around the room, gems were stunned to silence; they could only watch with wide-eyed horror, unable to comprehend what they were seeing. Blue slowly shook her head, moaning with anguish.

"My lab..." White whispered, her voice strained. "We need to get her to my lab."

They rushed Pink Diamond into another room. A few of White's gems had quickly gathered to assess the damage done to Pink's gem. White laid her gently onto one of her vast tables and the small gems looked unsettled by the sight. One of them looked up at White with pain and slowly shook her head.

Yellow Diamond could only watch, stunned as White Diamond displayed emotion she'd never seen from her before; a struggle to maintain the apathetic facade was crumbling.

"Tools..." White murmured, turning toward one of her table. "I-I can fix her... I can fix..."

Yellow moved to Pink's other side and stared blankly down at the smaller hands holding the gem together. She couldn't seem to fathom what she was seeing.

A loud clatter and Yellow shut her eyes tightly, looking toward White as her shaking hands had dropped several tools in the process.

"White..." she began.

White didn't seem to hear her. "Fix it. I can fix it." she mumbled, as if delirious.

Pink looked around weakly. "What's she doing...?" she asked the other two, "I can't see her. What's she doing?"

Blue comforted her with a stroke of her finger against her cheek. She sniffled once. "She's going to help you, Pink."

"My gem is falling apart in my hands..." Pink moaned, shaking her head. "You can't help me. I'm done."

White hurried to her side and gently gathered her into her arms. Pink's form flickered once and she moaned again, drawing horrified noises from the other three. Pink looked up at White and smiled weakly, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"I tried to fix it, White. I really did try..."

White leaned close, cupping her cheek with one hand. Her thumb brushed one of her tears away and her features twisted with anguish. Seeing her so emotional was new to the youngest Diamond. She glanced down at her cracking gem, her form flickering once more. She shuddered before leaning her head back.

"I thought... I thought if it was just me, I could stop her. It-It could go back to the way it was," she continued.

White managed a weak smile. "I know. I had a feeling. That's why I came to Earth. I thought I could stop..." She swallowed thickly, shaking her head.

Pink shook her head. "It was meant to be."

White's features crumbled and tears began to trickle down her cheeks. It looked so foreign and alien on her that Yellow couldn't stop watching it.

Another flicker of Pink's form. She struggled to keep herself together and White gently caressed her cheek with one hand to soothe her.

"Are you in pain?" White asked, her voice shaken.

Pink shook her head. "I-I don't feel much anymore."

An explosion of breath from White and she nodded, almost too fiercely. "Good. I'm glad."

Blue Diamond was sobbing in her hand.

"Is this what happens?" Pink asked her.

White stared, unable to answer. "Yes..." she eventually said, softly. A tear rolled down her cheek. "This is what happens..." She smiled sorrowfully, shaken. "I only wish I had done more."

Pink smiled weakly in response. "White, you can always make another Diamond..." she murmured.

"What?" White gave a strained laugh of disbelief. "Why would I make another? You cannot be replaced, Pink. I wouldn't dream of it!"

Pink smiled at her. "I'm glad I had a good teacher like you to show me what the universe was like. I'm glad I had you three here with me."

Her form flickered again and her gem cracked loudly down the middle. The sound echoed terribly in the room, drawing visceral reactions from the three there.

"No, no, no, no, no..." White Diamond moaned, the wounded sounds almost enough to buckle the walls. She frantically, held her close to her chest and began downright sobbing a rebuke while the other two could only watch in horror and anguish. "No, please! No, no, no..."

Pink's form flickered again and her gem began to fall apart. Blue and Yellow watched, eyes wide and frozen as White uttered the most heartbreaking, wrenching sounds they'd ever heard before. She clutched Pink and despite her sobs and rebukes, her form glitched into static before she crumbled into nothing more than dust in the Diamond's hands.

White stared down at the ashes in her hands, tears streaming down her cheeks. Her hands shook and she could only watch as the shards that had once been Pink Diamond fell from them. Blue was utterly wailing and Yellow hadn't moved. She looked like a statue.

White's hands shook harder. They slowly rose to her face and she uttered several strangled noises. Yellow had been holding Blue in her arms, comforting her as much as she could. She whispered to her how Pink would be avenged and how there would be retribution.

Yellow and Blue watched with wide, shocked eyes as White began to smash her head into the wall. Over and over again. Never had the older Diamond acted so impulsively.

"Stars, White, stop it!" Yellow cried, rushing to stop her.

White eventually tired herself out, leaning against the wall with her face contorted with sorrow, tears streaming down her cheeks. She gave several agonized wails before a tortured scream burst from her throat.

"She's gone…"

"I can't believe it…"

"White…"

White's shoulders shook and she suddenly screamed in anguish. Her hands hovered over her face, shaking almost violently. The sound was haunting, echoing through her lab. Yellow and Blue watched the other Diamond, shock on their faces.

They were crying as well, but as the fresh tears poured down their cheeks, they could only observe their eldest Diamond screaming with raw pain and hate. White's emotional responses were nothing that they'd ever experienced before.

"What do we do now?" Blue asked, moaning as she was held in Yellow's arms. "Were do we go? What do we do without Pink?"

The sobbing, wailing noises White uttered began to change into choking, hysterical laughter. It was disturbing to the Diamond's watching from a safe distance away and so entirely alien on someone like White.

White laid her face against a wall, hysterically laughing as tears streamed down her cheeks. Blue and Yellow attempted to get her back to reality. They made their way to her side, kneeling down on the floor with her.

"White, look at me!" Blue begged, cupping her cheeks. "White, please…"

White continued to laugh before it broke into helpless sobbing once again.

"Oh Stars, White..."

She didn't know who said it.

O

Rose slowly made her way through the crowds of gems waiting for her. Pearl saw her, pushing her way passed Rebel Gems, noticing the scorched dress, the singed hair and the deadened stare on Rose's face. Fresh tears began to fall down her cheeks, but she seemed unable to fathom anything else around her. Garnet also followed behind Pearl and they both met Rose at her side.

"Rose!" Garnet cried. "Rose, what happened?"

Rose looked up at her and her features crumbled in anguish. "I...I didn't mean to..." she began.

She could say no more as she began to sob, covering her eyes with two hands. Pearl's eyes widened and she draped herself across Rose's back as the larger gem crumbled to the ground. The Rebels gathered closer in an effort to offer her some form of comfort, despite knowing nothing of why Rose suffered. They were in the dark to her plan.

While this went on, White had been staring at the same wall, an emotionless statue as she cradled Pink's shards in her hands. She occasionally swayed back and forth, mumbling something under her breath. Yellow and Blue didn't know what to do.

"She's been that way for almost five hours," Yellow whispered. "She won't let us take Pink's shards. We can't leave it this way."

Blue was the first to approach. She knelt down beside White and reached out with one hand.

"White...?" she said, sniffling. "White, we must bubble them."

White acted as if she didn't see her. Her lips continued to form words that Blue couldn't understand.

"White." she repeated, reaching out to touch her hand. "Please."

Blue cupped her cheeks, bringing her face up to look at her. White's gaze was detached, staring through Blue; it was almost as if she was no longer even on their plane of reality. She swayed a little and her hands continued to shake.

Blue watched her with anguish, tears streaming down her face. She brushed her thumbs across White's tear-soaked cheeks.

"Yellow…" She couldn't stop her sob. "Yellow, please, come here. Help me."

Yellow didn't know what else to do, but she knelt down on the other side of White and took her other hand. White once more, didn't react.

"We can't lose you too," Blue moaned, fresh tears falling down her cheeks.

They spent time holding one another; Blue was downright sobbing in White's shoulder, fingers digging into her back in a mad effort to hold onto her and never let go. After a few moments, Yellow had done the same. They gently swayed back and forth, in some attempt to comfort each other.

O

 _Note_ \- White slowly starting to lose her mind to the loss was inspired by the OST "Swarm Ambience" by Samuel Laflamme.


	7. Part Seven: Horror

~O~

 **Part Seven: Horror**

"White's gone."

Yellow blinked, unable to fathom what Blue had just said. The oldest Diamond hadn't moved from her place in almost a day, and now she was gone?

"What?" she snapped, "What do you mean, she's gone?"

Blue shook her head frantically. She ran her fingers through her hair. "I-I don't know!" she cried, "I went to her lab and she isn't there!"

Yellow snarled softly and started to make her way down the corridors. Blue followed behind her and the two hurried to find the missing Diamond. They arrived at the laboratory and found it empty, save for a Gray Star Sapphire.

"Sapphire," Yellow addressed her, "Where is White?"

"She has gone to Earth, your Clarity," the Star Sapphire explained, sadly. "She is...unwell."

"Unwell?" Blue said, warily.

Star Sapphire looked concerned, clasping her hands together. "My Diamond has departed. I spoke to her in an effort to offer comfort, but she would not acknowledge my words. She said, 'I'm going to fix it'."

 _Earlier_

 _White had been standing in the corner with her back to the Star Sapphire. She smoothed her hands slowly down her hair and took a deep inhale._

 _"My Diamond, I know you feel suffering for what had happened," Star Sapphire said, carefully. "If you wish, I can consult the Jades in an effort to..."_

 _White turned, her eyes wide and her face still soaked with tears. The look could buckle legions of gems to their knees. Star Sapphire withered a little when White glanced down at her, that far-gone stare chilling everything in the room._

 _"It's all right, Sapphire," White said, her voice tight. "We're going to fix it." A soft, shaken laugh that occasionally strained. "Oh yes, we're going to. FIX. IT."_

 _Star Sapphire listened painfully to the strangled hiss of her words, recoiling as White strolled passed her and out of the chamber._

"She's on Earth. She intends to finish the war," Star Sapphire told the two Diamonds. "I see suffering and death, beyond anything we've witnessed before. My Diamond is choked by her rage, but she is also in pain. I cannot help her if she refuses my service."

Yellow shut her eyes, groaning softly. "What do we do, Blue?"

"I don't know, Yellow. We cannot leave Homeworld."

They didn't know what else could be done.

O

"It'll work!"

"Bismuth, this is madness! We don't even have Rose with us! What if we fail?"

"We won't!"

Garnet couldn't hear the discussion that night. She had been positioned carefully among the rocks of the Kindergarten, beside a peridot. She had been warning them earlier about this, but Bismuth was determined. She wanted to have it over.

"Look, we've got Garnet on our side!" Bismuth said, with a smile. She gestured to the fusion. "I got faith in all of us!"

"How is Rose?" Garnet asked.

Bismuth sighed, shaking her head. "Not well. She's with the Renegade Pearl. You know, the real tough one. They're talking, so that's good."

Garnet looked troubled. "She won't talk about it. And I can't see how it happened."

Bismuth furrowed her brow. She had no answer this time.

There were two amethyst's watching the end of the Kindergarten. They whispered cautiously to one another, unsettled by the eerie silence.

"We should go back." the first one suggested.

The other watched the distance cautiously. "No. They need us here. Just in case she shows." she reminded her, "Just hold steady."

"Do you really want to be here alone in case she shows up?"

"It's our duty. We knew what we signed up for."

"It's White Diamond! We don't stand a chance against her."

"No one said anything about fighting. We're just here to watch for her."

Something suddenly changed in the air; it was an unsettling wash of fear that immediately brought the two gems on guard. They tensed, their spears producing in their hands. Warily, they watched the distance before hearing the menacing sounds of heels approaching.

CLACK, CLACK, CLACK…

The two watched with wide eyes as White Diamond rounded the corner, body radiating with fire. She stood there, not looking at them at first. The two gems held their breath, horrified by the sight of her. They had known she would show, given Garnet's vision, but they had not been prepared for it.

Finally, White slowly looked in their direction and they seized at the wide-eyed, almost blank look on her face. It was like staring at a lifeless doll.

Then, a grin stretched across her face. So sudden. So eerie and so very frightening. The two amethyst's were frozen, unable to move as she slowly walked up to them. In that moment, they forgot what they were supposed to do.

Garnet looked up sharply at the sounds of screams. "She's here!"

Several gems scattered as White rounded the corner, armed with her long, dangerous scythe. The blade glinted ominously in the light of the moon. Two amethyst's fused and raised their trident-like weapon, unleashing blasts of energy at the Diamond.

White's cloak hummed with electricity and she began to spin on her heels, deflecting each shot with expert precision. The fusion continued to fire in a desperate attempt to wound her before White Diamond swung her scythe through her form.

The others watched in horrified silence as the amethyst's face suddenly went slack in pain. She looked down at her body as it began to flicker with light, crackling as if she were a television gone static. Garnet could only stare in muted shock as the gem began to crumble apart like glass.

White Diamond looked up at the sight of fused gems crouched on top of the Kindergarten. Several of them were armed with whips. They jumped down to surround her and their weapons cracked through the air, wrapping around White's wrists several times. Another whip wrapped tightly around her throat and the wide-eyed Diamond grunted lowly.

Garnet watched with amazement as the Diamond struggled to move forward, held back by a multitude of gem fusions. Bismuth smirked with pride. She elbowed Garnet once.

"See? Nothing to worry about!" she assured her. "We have her now!"

White continued to struggle for a few moments, her features twisted with effort. Then, she looked straight at Bismuth, all that struggle vanishing immediately from her face. What came next was an almost bored flat look that startled all of them there.

White jerked her left arm and the force sent the fusion holding her flying through the air. The others watched in horror as White swung her arm with a wicked grin, sending the fusion smashing into the other that held her down. It toppled them viciously to the ground.

But it didn't stop there; White continued to throw the fusion around; she was tossed into walls before finally thrown flat to the ground with enough force to crack the earth below. Smoke shot up and the other gems were shielding their eyes from it.

The gem thrown into the ground laid there in a daze, shaken and unable to move. A black heel pressed into her and she groaned in pain. White leered down at her before grinning, raising her heel and bringing it down on the gem.

Her form was dispelled, but as soon as the smoke cleared, they saw that wasn't the case; glittering shards littered beneath White Diamond's heel. She calmly regarded the sight, shaking her head and not acknowledging the scream from one of the rebellion.

Garnet and Bismuth looked horrified by the sight.

"We need to warn Rose!" Garnet shuddered, "We need to go!"

Bismuth looked up as several more gems fused together; a combination of jaspers wielding an enormous axe. The fusion looked down at them, speaking loudly.

"Go! We'll hold her off for as long as we can!" she said.

Bismuth shook her head. "No way! She'll shatter you!"

"Don't worry about us. You need to go, now!" the jasper fusion told her,"We'll hold her back while you get to Rose. This is our purpose. What we're made for. We're ready. We're ready to die if it means protecting this planet from the likes of White Diamond."

White smiled now, delight ringing out of her stoic voice. "Silly creature. When I'm finished with you. You're going to wish that's all I did."

The jasper fusion gave a fierce roar, charging with her axe. White's scythe appeared in her hand once more and collided with the axe; she was forced back several paces, her heels dragging in the dirt. The other gems watched the sight with a mixture of awe and unease, but realized that she was right; they had to warn Rose that White Diamond was here.

They turned and ran, leaving White and the jasper fusion alone.

O

The jasper fusion swung her axe with a loud, powerful call of battle; it was strong, carrying through the great canyon of the Alpha Kindergarten. White caught the attack with her scythe. They struggled for dominance, swinging both weapons back and forth.

White's smiles were far too empty during the entire fight; she seemed almost content, as if in a dream-like trance. It was strange, eerie and a little disquieting, but the jasper fusion would not give up her fight just yet.

With a fierce grunt, she was inched back against the wall from White's strength; the blade of her scythe drew closer and closer to her eye. The jasper fusion grunted with all her strength, her secondary pair of arms catching White's scythe handle.

The Diamond blinked, watching as the axe from the first pair of arms raised up. She recoiled from the swing and was forced back several paces. When the jasper fusion swung her axe up, White's scythe caught the attack and the weapon was sent flying from her hands.

It spun end-over-end through the air before embedding itself into the ground.

The jasper fusion lunged at White before she could recover; slamming the Diamond into her midsection and knocking her to the ground. She raised one of her fists and brought it down, but White calmly turned her head to one side to avoid the punch.

Another punch struck White directly in the mouth. She hadn't moved from the blow this time; grinning, she took punch after punch before seizing one of the many arms.

The jasper fusion attempted to grapple with her, but White rolled, kicking out her leg in the fusion's midsection, knocking her viciously back several yards away. Behind her waited Bismuth at the top of the canyon.

"Hey!" the gem yelled, "We're going to Rose. But we'll be back for you, I promise!"

Garnet shook her head as Bismuth started to depart. "Bismuth, what I saw - "

"It's like Rose says, Garnet," Bismuth assured her, "Fate can be changed. We know it. You said yourself that we win the war! And we can win…with the Breaking Point."

Garnet recalled Bismuth discussing it in private with her before. She had developed a weapon sure to win the war against Homeworld. All she had to do was pitch the idea to Rose and it would all be over. She had the utmost confidence in it.

"Alright…" Garnet said, smiling.

Below them, the jasper fusion tensed, watching as White slowly rose to her feet. "She's not fast…" she said, softly, "A Diamond may be big, but on this battlefield, we're made for war."

Eyes widening, the jasper fusion gave a shocked gasp when White surging through the canyon at top speeds; she was coming right toward her with wide, manic eyes. Despite her sheer size, White was faster than the fusion belived.

"Stars, no…!" she gasped out.

White dove forward, scythe appearing in her hands once again. She swung the blade, mere seconds as the jasper fusion produced her axe. The weapons colliding knocked her flat onto her back with White crouched over her. Sprays of fire flew from her weapon, scorching the ground around them.

"How much worse do you want this to get?" she asked, pushing her blade harder, bringing it inches from the jasper's face once more. Her voice rang out with near delight. "When I bring ruin to this Rebellion, all you will know is suffering. Just as she did."

The fusion drove her elbow into White's back, struggling to dislodge her. They grappled for dominance for several moments and the jasper managed to get White's head in a fierce lock in her arm. She kicked out her legs, slamming the Diamond into the ground.

The jasper fusion grinned triumphantly down at her. "Hah! See if you can get your head out of this one!"

White grunted, one hand digging deep grooves into the dirt. The other grabbed at the arm around her neck. She clenched her teeth, opened her mouth and let out a scream that nearly shook the very air and canyon around them.

The powerful, banshee-like wail carried for miles, crippling gems from Homeworld and Rebels alike; they buckled to the ground, holding their ears in agony. The sound practically cut through their forms, drawing the worst possible pain imaginable.

The jasper fusion winced, her secondary arms holding her ears.

When White finished screaming, the fusion scowled down at her. "What was that?" she hissed, with an unsettled smile. "Calling for help? It won't work! Homeworld is done and so are you!"

No response from White.

The jasper fusion scoffed. "At a loss for words all of a sudden, diamond?" she sneered.

White's body began to vibrate and it took a moment to realize she was laughing. Gradual building, sinister laughter echoed from her. The jasper fusion looked down, confused by the sound and apprehensive.

White grinned, cackling long and loud; the noise was so foreign on her that the jasper fusion didn't know what to make of it. She had never heard a Diamond laugh that way before. The blaze from White's fire began to burn brighter. Hotter. Hotter than anything the jasper had endured.

"Come, fusion; join me in the flames…" White suddenly whispered, with a giggle.

She began to crawl her way toward the fire, dragging the fusion with her. The jasper fusion looked up with dread, struggling to pull White back from the blaze, but the Diamond was stronger; she had been toying with her the entire time.

"No, stop!" she shouted.

"Why?" White laughed, gleeful. She continued to crawl. "Don't you want to feel as I do? Don't you want to see what I see?"

The fire engulfed them both; White was unharmed by it, but the jasper fusion began to sweat and feel the effects of it. She gritted her teeth, groaning out in pain.

"Always…" White murmured, with a sound of sadness, "It's always the same…"

The fusion released White and jumped from the fire, stumbling several times in the dirt. She had been singed almost completely; her uniform was burned and her hair scorched. She staggered back, watching as White slowly rose from the blaze, her eyes glowing. It gave her a frightening appearance, like that of a primordial being.

The jasper fusion staggered back as White stepped out of the fire, retrieving her scythe. The fusion looked down, horrified to see her hand beginning to crystallize from being exposed to the flames. She cried out, clawing uselessly at it as White loomed over her.

"Wh-What is this?" the fusion shrieked. "What's happening to me?"

White smiled down at her. "Don't worry. I will deliver you soon enough. But I must ask one question before I do…"

The fusion shuddered in agony, looking up at her with confusion.

"Was all your suffering worth it?" White asked, with a smile. "Was it everything you'd wanted? Was SHE everything you wanted?"

"Please…" the fusion begged, realizing that this was a worse fate than she believed White to be capable of; it hurt so much, "Have mercy!"

White calmly placed one of her heels into the fusion's chest and raised her scythe high; the act silhouetted her against the flames and moon. Her next word was simple, but carried all the weight of her grief and wrath that could crumble whole armies.

"No."

With that final word, she brought her scythe down.

O

Throngs of Rebel gems pushed their way through the battlefield, armed with their weapons. Homeworld gems had begun retreating from them, rushing back for their ships and the nearby warp pad. The Rebels stopped their charge to cheer.

"Homeworld is backing down!" an amethyst shouted, thrusting her spear high, "Soon, after five thousand years, we will know victory!"

The gems at her side looked beyond her and their eyes widened in horror. The amethyst frowned, glanced over her shoulder and her eyes widened as well. Over the vast horizon, an enormous black mass had begun to grow.

And grow.

Taking shape.

The gems watched, frozen in shock as it took the form of what looked like White Diamond; long fingers reached for them and they screamed, staggering back from it.

"It's not real! IT'S NOT REAL!" the amethyst shrieked to the others, "It's just an illusion!"

The frightened gems recoiled as the hand passed through them harmlessly. They laughed, strangled sounds of nervousness as they watched the shadowy illusion of White Diamond continue to surge through them. The gems remained unharmed and laughed again.

"You can't scare us with cheap tricks, Diamond!" the amethyst shouted through the roar of the illusion, "We will not fall!"

No sooner had she said that, the black smoke cleared and the real White Diamond burst from it, scythe raised high; that same mad grin was there on her face and she hissed with triumphant glee. The Rebel gems screamed as the scythe swung down.

All that remained from her attack were broken shards. White looked up at one remaining gem. The moment she did, the Rebel gem turned and fled. White grinned widely, raised her scythe and twisted it far behind her. Then, she heaved it as hard as she could with a fierce shout, sending the weapon spinning in the direction of the fleeing gem. She didn't get far as the scythe cleaved through her form, dispelling her into shimmering dust.

White worked to form a bubble around the shards of gems. Collecting them, she smiled and ran a single, long nail down the length of the bubble.

O

It had begun to rain again.

White hadn't been certain how long she'd wandered deep into the storm as she made her way back to the warp. She wasn't sure how far she'd gone. All around her were mountains and she couldn't see beyond the falling snow in front of her. She dragged her scythe behind her.

Whispers through her mind.

Shaken, distorted images before her.

She stopped, dropped to her knees and didn't hear the sound of Blue's voice in the distance. The other Diamond quickly hurried to her side, panting. Her pearl was with her as she knelt down before White, cupping her cheeks.

Blue hissed with pain, jerking back at the scalding heat from White's form. The older Diamond stared straight ahead, eyes wide and pupils narrowed to near pinpricks. It didn't take too long before Yellow appeared through the warp. She sighed with relief.

"White!" she exclaimed.

She was drenched head to toe from the rain, her gaze blank and devoid of emotion. But something else was there. Something distant and almost frightening.

"Where did you go?" Yellow demanded. "We've lost a Diamond today already! We couldn't bear losing another!"

The Diamond's features still remained blank and emotionless. When she spoke at last, it was almost too quiet to be heard.

"Use the song." she whispered.

Yellow looked relieved to see her finally talking again. "Very well." she said, evenly. "Come along, Blue. We'll announce the evacuation for the rest of our forces. Let's get this over with."

Blue looked at White hesitantly and helped her stand. The Diamonds made their way back to Homeworld and issued the evacuation.

Gems began pouring through the warp, rushing to their ships when they received the command from the Diamonds. It was chaos; pushing, screaming and struggling between them all. It took mere seconds as the gems departed before the weapon was unleashed.

On the beach, Rose had her bubble surrounding her comrades as the roar of the song pierced the air. She grunted with effort as Pearl, Garnet and Bismuth held onto her. She looked up, wincing with effort before her features smoothed out in anguish.

A nephrite was kneeling on the beach, staggering back in shock and pain. The force of the sound seemed to whip her hair wildly around her face, but as she turned, Rose remembered Pearl pulling her from the broken Homeworld vessel.

 _Stars..._

Walking seemed to cause the nephrite great pain and effort, but she staggered toward the bubbled gems anyway, moaning and reaching for them. Her form flickered and green fluid poured from her mouth. They couldn't hear the sound from inside, but only watch helplessly as the gem clawed at the bubble, her mouth forming desperate pleas for mercy.

Tears filled Rose's eyes and she whispered out "I'm sorry". The nephrite continued to beat uselessly on the bubble before the sound around her began to take its toll; her arm began to rot into a thin, black appendage and her mouth formed a row of sharp, dangerous teeth. Green fluid poured from her eyes, nose and mouth in a gruesome display.

She collapsed into the sand and despite the gems inside the bubble being incapable of hearing anything, they could only watch as the nephrite began a horrible transformation; long, snakelike body, jagged fangs and multiple legs sprouting from her sides.

The creature screamed out before scuttling away.

"This was Homeworld's plan..." Rose moaned, shaking her head in rebuke.

Once the sound had stopped and Rose willed the bubble away, a chorus of distant animal snarls and screams pierced the night air.

O

White was laying on the marble floor of her chambers, eyes wide and flushed red from constant weeping. The underside of her eyes were sunken. Her robes circled her in a sea of white and black and her long-nailed fingers twitched every so often.

"My Diamond…" the voice from a pearl filled the air.

White didn't move. She continued to lay there, watching the wall. The pearl didn't know quite what she should do; the older Diamond had been there in that same spot since they'd left to do her command. To corrupt the Rebellion and leave Earth to its own devices.

"I'm…" the pearl looked cautious, unsure if she should approach. "I'm here with news from Yellow Diamond. She sends her report of the corruption. It's successful, just as you said it would be."

No response. White continued to lay there.

The pearl took a step forward. "Um, Yellow Diamond wants you to meet with her in the trial hall." she attempted, fidgeting with her hands. "I-I was told to inform you that there are Rebels who have been retrieved since then."

Still, no response.

A new sound filled the air now; a scraping noise. White dragged a single, long fingernail in front of her, still staring at the wall with a blank, almost lifeless expression.

 _Scrape…scrape…scrape…_

The pearl winced somewhat, still very uneasy about being there in the dark chamber. The sound continued and though she felt a malicious change in the air, she kept walking toward her.

"Yellow Diamond also said that - "

She didn't get to finish as White abruptly slashed at her with those frightening nails, snarling loud and fierce. The act had the pearl fleeing from the chamber with a frightened squeal, right out the door she'd come from. It closed, leaving the room in darkness; all but the dim lights of White's machines and console screens lit the hall.

 _"White, can you read me a story?"_

White blinked rapidly.

In her field of vision, little pink shoes passed by and Pink's face appeared in view. White's eyes widened slowly. She wasn't there. She was gone. Did her mind project the illusion as a result of her grief? She didn't even know.

Pink smiled brightly. _"I'm here. Can you read me a story?"_

Meanwhile, the little pearl had returned to Yellow Diamond, who looked disappointed by her report. Not necessarily because White had lashed out - she was more surprised by that than anything else - but that White refused to join her at the trial.

She had suspected something was wrong with White after it had all happened; but now, she had a greater reason to believe it given the disturbing rumors whispered among her court.

Even the eldest of them could suffer, it seemed. She was not completely emotionless.

O

A few days went by and White still hadn't left her tower.

Yellow had been working at her best to tend to the military forces of Homeworld and perform Blue's duties as well; she had been mourning the loss of Pink Diamond more often than she should. Yellow failed to see why either one of them did such a thing.

Wasn't it better to move passed it? Wasn't it for the best that they didn't think about what happened? Yellow herself found that when she thought about Pink's demise, it only served to cause her pain. Pain she didn't need or want to feel. So she pushed passed it with all her being.

Surely White, the most logical of them all, could see that.

She made her way to White's tower and could hear the sounds of glass shattering. Startled, Yellow advanced quicker and found several glass shard littering the floor. Blinking, she raised her foot and noticed that it had been one of White's glass windows, painted in the visage of herself.

"White?" Yellow called, loudly. "White, where are you?"

The tower was so dark, not at all vibrant as it had been in the past. Only a few dimly lit lights lined the wall. Yellow walked into the main chamber and found White tossing a few things to the floor; glass sculptures, consoles and anything else she could get her hands on.

"White!" Yellow groaned, slouching her shoulders. "What are you doing?"

White froze, looking up at her with a wide, delighted grin. It looked almost frightening on her features. "Yellow! Yellow, I have news!" she said, "I was visited by Pink!"

Yellow looked concerned now. "…What?"

"I have…much work to do, yes…" White glanced around the mess she'd made and laughed a little. "Oh yes, much work to be done. Not just for Homeworld. But for myself." She looked up at Yellow, who suddenly looked uncomfortable by that smile. "Oh Yellow, always yelling to cover the silence. But I do no such things."

Yellow blinked, then reached out one hand to her. She swallowed thickly, trying not to think about it. "All right, White; could you do me just one simple favor? Could you just…" She gestured to White's great throne. "Take a seat. Just sit down for a moment."

White stared blankly at her for a second. Then, she giggled and raised two hands to her face. "Oh Yellow, I had this wonderful notion. It had never occurred to me!" she said, turning toward her many monitors and screens. "I can watch Homeworld. I can see everything from this place and know what I need to know."

"What are you talking about?" Yellow asked, now uncomfortable by the change in the air between them.

White's features changed so rapidly. She exhaled softly, her shoulders relaxing. "I won't be going to your trials," she said, evenly, "Have them if you must. Do what you need if it satisfies you. I have thoughts to keep."

Yellow didn't know what else to say as White took a seat in her throne without another word.


	8. Part Eight: Change

~O~

 **Part Eight: Change**

"White..."

Blue wandered into the darkened chamber that evening; she found White sitting with her back to her. fingers typing rapidly over the many screens and keys around her. All she did was sit; a silent, cold statue. Before, it had been like that, but now, she was rarely seen and rarely spoken to, even by the other two Diamonds.

"White, this isn't what she'd want," Blue said, quietly. Tears filled her eyes. "These new laws you passed...they're beyond cruel, even for you. Destroying gems for this? Shattering gems loyal does not inspire devotion."

White didn't stop typing. The only noises in the room were the gentle clicking of her fingers against the holoscreens, over the keys and the occasional creak of her throne as she moved.

"White, talk to me." Blue pleaded. "We could always talk, remember?"

"I would like to remind you that visiting my chambers unannounced is unwanted and uncalled for," White suddenly spoke, her voice flat and emotionless once more, "A repeat offense will not be permitted."

"But, White..."

Blue remained in the chamber, silently regarding her with anguish. She looked differently now; her form was heavily armored, her cloak ended in sharp blades. Nothing of what she once was existed in her form. It was a reflection of how SHE herself had changed. Blue herself had been through the same changes; it had been hard to go on these days, for all of them.

"You think these changes are unpleasant? With change comes the ability to adapt, to forge new paths for the future." White told her. "And in my future, there will be no room for the ideals of love. Not anymore, I'm afraid. To evolve into the race we are meant to be, there must be suffering. Always. That is how we grow stronger. That is how we become better than the previous generation."

Blue approached White's throne and slowly reached out to offer comfort - which she truly believed was needed. She rested a hand on White's shoulder, and the typing sound stopped. White's fingers hovered over the keyboard for a moment, as if she'd been frozen by Blue's action. The other Diamond noticed that she was looking away.

"White, no one blames you," she said, gently. "We know you loved her. It's hard for you, I understand. It's hard for all of us."

"Love?" White's passive voice took on barely a fraction of an edge. It was the first change in her tone in quite a while. "Love..." A soft, unfriendly chuckle escaped her - such an absurd notion. "How can you even say such a thing to me, Blue...? Love didn't stop her from being shattered. Love didn't save her as her gem broke apart in my hands - I can still hear that sound in my head."

Blue watched her sorrowfully.

"Rose Quartz twisted the foundation of the Diamond Authority for her own gain and it ended in brutality. Perhaps I should hate her for that. Is that what you want me to do? Hate her? Weep like the pained human children that Pink once fawned over? I could feel that. But I don't. I feel only emptiness."

Blue stared at her silently, eyes filling.

White glanced partially up at her. Her features didn't change. It was like gazing into a cold, pitiless statue. "If there is nothing more you wish to speak, then leave me to my work."

Blue lowered her hand from her shoulder before she eventually departed, leaving White alone in the room.

O

The wires remained connected to her neck as she watched the monitors; each screen depicted images of Homeworld and their daily routines; they displayed everything that happened on Homeworld. She could see Yellow and Blue in the midst of an argument with one another. Pointless, no doubt. White barely blinked.

White leaned back, reaching up to touch the wire that connected to the base of her neck. She shut her eyes for a moment, leaned her head back.

A synthetic chuckle escaped her lips.

Even as she remained there in the darkness of her chamber, observing Homeworld in silence. She remembered years ago when she had told Blue Diamond of what she had intended to do to herself.

" _I begin to hear voices and can't concentrate. So, I am doing what seems to be the best thing to do. The process I use for my Onyx's I will do unto myself."_

" _White, please…"_

" _It's for the good of Homeworld. And of myself. You know this."_

 _"This isn't who you are."_

 _"I've made the decision, Blue. It will be done."_

At the center of her chamber stood Pink Diamond's pearl. The small, frightened gem looked around, lost and confused.

"Wh-Where is my Diamond?" she asked, whimpering.

"I assume you would have an answer." White said, without looking back at her.

Pink Pearl lifted her frightened eyes as White rose, turning to her now. The look on the Diamond's face was different. After having been kept at the zoo for a long time, she noticed the empty, pitiless change to White's features.

"She's gone. Shattered to the wind," White told her. She tilted her head, studying her like a dangerous predator, "Now why do you think that is?"

Pink Pearl's eyes widened in anguish. "S-Shattered?" she moaned, "Oh Stars, no!"

"Yes, it's very true," White continued, pacing around her. "I wondered how it would be to look upon the pearl who had abandoned her..."

"I didn't! I wanted to go with her!" Pink Pearl cried, tears streaming down her cheeks.

White smiled now and it lit up her entire face in a disturbing way. "Did you? Or was it, perhaps, the idea of freedom twisting your notions? It did such with the Rose Quartz's. Perhaps you desired your freedom the very same. Maybe it corrupted you."

Pink Pearl shook her head rapidly. "N-No! Your Grand Clarity, I would never!"

"Silence."

Pink Pearl continued, wavering in her words. "I loved my Diamond! I wouldn't."

"I said, silence." White's voice took on a dangerous, synthetic growl.

Meanwhile, Yellow and Blue were at the trial of another Rebel. They noticed that White's seat had been empty once more. Yellow glanced at the other Diamond with a sigh. She just wanted to get the trial over with. It seemed that White couldn't be bothered with it at all.

"White should be here," Yellow said, once the trial took a brief recess. "Our duties do not stop, especially for these rebellious gems."

Blue sighed. "Perhaps her mind is occupied with other matters."

O

"You think this will make you good? You're not good."

"I know."

In the darkness of the chamber, Pink Pearl knelt in the center of the complete diamond insignia, shaken and frightened of the shape that paced around her in the darkness. The synthetic voice that trilled out like a machine. Emotionless. Without feeling.

"You think you can make up for the choices you made?"

Pink Pearl lifted her head, tears soaking her cheeks.

"Do you know what it means to suffer, little pearl?" White asked, her heels still clacking against the marble floor. "It's always quite abstract…the suffering of others, but I know. I know that better than anyone." Her voice became a shrill whisper. "Because of you."

Pink Pearl looked up at her tearfully. "Forgive me."

"You ask for forgiveness, but do you understand what it means to forgive another being? One who allowed Rose Quartz to get close to Pink Diamond? One who let her corrupt everything that we have made?" White's almost robotic tones rang out with amusement. "To forgive is to forget, and I will not. Not as the rest of you have."

Pink Pearl had begged for mercy. She had insisted that it wasn't her fault. "Please, forgive me..."

White's fingers clenched over and over. "I told you, I will not. Not after this. Not anymore."

Tears poured down Pink Pearl's cheeks and she whimpered as White Diamond's gem began to glow. She knew what her fate was.

"Forgive me!" she cried.

" _STOP SAYING THAT_!" White suddenly screamed, her voice deepening rather frighteningly, like a malfunctioning computer.

The pearl gave a frightened squeak, recoiling from her.

White knelt down now, reaching with one hand to scoop her up. The pearl whimpered as she was brought up to the face of the Diamond. The emotionless expression, the eerie gaze and the way her gem glowed bright lit up the darkness of the room; it made her features more unsettling that before.

"She will understand," White crooned, her thumb roughly petting the pearl's head, drawing pained grunts from the gem. Her voice dropped softly as she chanted the words like a mantra. "She will understand. Oh yes, she will understand. She will understand."

As she chanted, her gem glowed brighter. And brighter. So bright.

 _She will understand._

The flash blinded the pearl and her shrieks were silenced.

O

A smiling, wide-eyed and happy Pink Pearl stood at the center of the court. She bowed to the gems who had been transferred from Pink Diamond's court to Yellow's and greeted them as she was meant to. All of them were happy. Everyone was smiling and content. As it should be.

Everyone returned to their duties with a purpose.

Yellow Diamond had been far too busy performing the duties that were normally left to Blue, as the other Diamond was left to mourn their loss. White had spoken no more about the destruction of Pink Diamond, leaving Yellow to find solutions to recovering her.

Along with her normal duties.

And her new ones.

Yellow watched the shape of White Diamond's ship in the distance - a floating torso without arms. Nearby rested the tower where she would often remain seated, performing her duties as necessary to Homeworld. But they hadn't spoken to her. All White did anymore was sleep.

Perhaps that was best.

For now, all they had to do was wait until Earth was gone, erasing anything left of the war that brought nothing but sorrow.

Meanwhile, White sat in her chambers, neck attached with tubes in the ceiling. She caressed the arm rests of her cathedra, watching the many monitors laid out before her.

Much had changed in a short time. White closed her eyes, remembering how it had been to experiment on her own form. To take the very thing that wrought forth her emotional responses. But somehow, they always waited, far away in the deeper recesses of her mind.

"My Diamond, it's finished."

White's eyes opened and she looked over her shoulder to the peridot standing there. The gem looked up at her with unease, a holographic screen levitating before her. White smiled and rose.

"That's wonderful to hear, little peridot," she said, with that same flat, computer tone, "Come. Let's show the other Diamonds the fruits of my work."

Walking forward, she was led by the nervous gem to the other two, who waited for her outside of her tower. Yellow frowned and Blue tilted her head.

"What is it you wish to show us, White?" Blue asked.

"Come. Come and see!" the eerie delight on White's face unsettled the two, but they reluctantly followed her anyway.

It had been a long time since White had left her tower, so perhaps this was better than having her in isolation. They made their way to the warp and onto Earth. White froze almost immediately when she stepped down the path of stairs.

"White, are you alright?" Yellow asked her.

 _No._ "Yes, I am fine," White said, with a grin that was far too wide. Far too fake. "I am merely pleased to introduce you to a project. I have not been entirely idle."

 _You can't run from the pain forever, no matter how much you try._

White blinked rapidly, ignoring the shadowy whispers in the back of her mind. They arrived at the Prime Kindergarten; an empty chasm where gems once thrived. The peridot led the three Diamonds down into the domain below it.

 _That's right. Ignore it... Bury it deep inside until it festers and rots. Then, you will only seek a way to end it._

The enormous chamber was filled with thick, green tendrils and several monitors that lit up upon the arrival of the gems. Yellow and Blue looked around the vast chamber and their pearls suddenly seemed very frightened.

"I've worked tirelessly here to create something I believe you may find useful," White told the other two Diamonds.

She reached up toward a stone pillar among many hanging from the walls. Giving it an almost loving caress, she sighed with pleasure.

"I promised them, you understand," White continued, with a thin, eerie smile, "I promised them I would put them back together again. I'm a Diamond of my word, after all."

She gave a few unsettling, synthetized giggles that had Blue and Yellow suddenly wary by the sound. They wanted to understand the purpose behind the pillars, but something told them that it wasn't good. White was already changing the subject.

"There were two Rebels taken," she explained, gesturing for them to follow her back up to the Kindergarten. "It took quite a bit of time, but they would not break. It was admirable and...adequate for my present needs."

"What sort of needs?" Yellow asked.

O

The facility was one that Blue and Yellow had never seen before.

It was dark, save for a few dim overhead lights. White followed one of her pearls down the corridors until they reached a set of double doors. Pushing them open, she stepped into an enormous, empty room. Two Rebel amethyst's were standing there, held back by two jaspers.

White gave a small, indicating nod and the jaspers released them, stepping through two doors on the opposite side of the room.

"You can't defeat us, Diamond!" one of the amethyst's spat. "No matter what you do, we will not submit to your authority any longer!"

White chuckled softly. "No, you won't," she said, "Of that, I believe. You are amethyst's, therefore you are harder to bend to my will. Instead, I must choose emotional stimuli to warrant the proper reaction necessary."

Her features lit up eerily. "Do you recall the gems of your battallion? The ones that my Onyx's attacked?"

The amethyst's looked at one another. They seemed unsure of how to react to the question.

"Without consequences to actions, everything becomes chaos," White continued, with a thin grin, "And I am Order." She turned to the other two Diamonds. "Let's watch, shall we?" she said.

The Diamonds walked out of the room and Blue looked cautiously at White. The older Diamond smiled and gestured with one hand to a holographic screen that displayed the room.

The two amethyst's looked around warily before looking at themselves.

The first one placed her hands on her friend's shoulders. "Look at me!" she whispered, "Look, we can get through this. As long as we're together, she can't bring us down."

The second amethyst nodded her head rapidly, frightened. "You're right."

They looked toward the double doors before them as they slowly creaked open. A hiss escaped the shadows and the two gems looked unsettled by the sound.

A long, blue arm reached out of the darkness and into the room. The two amethyst's stood ready for a fight, but when the shape began to enter, their expressions drained into horror. White's voice filled the room now.

"Like you, they didn't think they could be broken either," she said, in a cruel, mechanical drawl, "But...in time, I broke them. And oh, such secrets they shared with me."

An disfigured, enormous shape began to emerge from the shadows. Then a leg.

And another.

And another.

Whip-like strands of hair and teeth.

A series of thick, rattling moans that echoed around the room. The two amethyst's looked shaken by what they were seeing as a shadow loomed over them.

It was a twisted abberation of limbs, teeth, eyes and hands. A cluster of gem shards had been fused to its grotesque face of sharp fangs. It moaned in a collection of various voices, stalking toward the terrified Rebel gems.

White Diamond's unsettling, deep chuckle filled the room, overlapped with the creature's loud, thunderous roar.

O

 _Corruption starts from deep inside. Stress changes you. Too much stress is not good, even for a Diamond. You'll change. Just as she did._

White continued to ignore the voice, passing her mind like a fleeting whisper.

 _Your face doesn't betray it, but inside, it eats away at you. Slowly, you'll be the very thing you hold back. The horrible creature clawing inside of you will rise to the surface. Deny it all you wish, but it happens. To all of us. The cracks will start to show. Then they will see what you really are._

White calmly retrieved a data pad, scrolling through it. Her new order. The way things should be on Homeworld. How she could keep destruction from happening again.

The colony felt lifeless.

White made her way to Pink's abandoned chamber; she paused to study the aged pillars, cracked walls and rooftops ensnared with vines. Animals had begun roosting around. It was like standing in a graveyard. White shut her eyes, remembering how it had once been to stand here.

When it felt alive.

 _You can pretend not to be bothered, but being here again rattles you, doesn't it, White? To be among a graveyard that in her rage, she had created. But it was all a lie, wasn't it? You know the truth of what happened - no matter how deeply you try to bury it, it's very real._

Why did she come here?

Static through her field of vision and a whisper of her name. White shook her head rapidly and entered another chamber filled with various black screens. They suddenly lit up upon her arrival and an image of an eye filled the screen; a pink eye with a Diamond-shaped iris.

The familiar voice of Pink Diamond was different; throaty and raw, laced with aggression.

 _What's happening, White? Did you scratch it all away? It's not so easy to get rid of it, you know. Didn't you teach me that?_ A sinister chuckle. _The best years of my life were spent under your tutelage; I learned a lot from you._ A sigh now. _Corrupt it and hide it away so no one can ever know the truth. But you do, don't you?_

She went to visit the palanquin next, where it had happened Perhaps she visited these places to feel something again. The gaping void of nothing clawed away at her from inside. She had once felt her fire flare like a bright, scorching inferno; but at the years had passed, the only sensation she had been accustomed with was emptiness.

Void.

Nothing.

 _My palanquin. That is where it happened; it was fast and I barely had a chance to react. This is where we both died. I suppose it was a matter of time, really. Maybe it was for the best, too. After all, you knew what I was. Maybe it was really what you wanted all along - to be rid of the defect, yes?_

White shook her head. "No, that's not..."

 _It is, White. Perhaps that's what made me weaker than the rest of you. It was a gambit I was destined to lose. Oh...don't be shy, White. Step a little closer._

White took a step closer, running her fingers across the palanquin's broken leg.

A flicker through her field of vision.

Yes, it was true; maybe she wanted to feel something again, but that part of her was gone, along with the part that had brought her hope.

But Pink was dead. Hope was dead. Love was dead. And White couldn't fix it. It was something beyond her capabilities.

There was nothing.

She returned to her tower in silence, taking a spot at her cathedra. The wires from the ceiling connected to her neck with a soft hiss. White shut her eyes, leaned back with a sigh. Before her were various screens displaying the activities of Homeworld.

A new order.

A new era.

O

 _Note_ \- The Rebel gems facing off against the Cluster gem was inspired from The One Reborn OST and boss fight from Bloodborne.


End file.
